Parents who are getting divorced need to determine how they’re going to break this information to their children and move forward with the process as co-parents. As a general rule, the best thing they can do is to present a united front. That shows the children that there is still stability and that life isn’t going to change as much as they may be worried that it will.
Keeping kids’ lives and daily schedules as normal as possible can be extremely helpful as well. This may be relatively simple during the school year, when the children have a strict schedule anyway. But parents should also consider things like where the children will live during the summer, how involvement in extracurricular activities may be impacted by the family’s transition, when they’ll get to see their friends and things of this nature. The more parents can do to keep children’s lives consistent both before and after the divorce, the easier that divorce is likely going to be for them.
It can take time
It can take time to get to a “united front” point with a former spouse. Yet, if you’re getting divorced, chances are that you and your spouse are both aware that you’re going to be connected to each other via your children for the rest of their lives, and you’ll eventually want to prioritize figuring out a way to put your children first, even if one or both of you can’t initially do so.
There are many topics that parents need to discuss in when they’re divorcing. Examples include parenting styles, disciplinary measures, living situations, school schedules and much more. When parents are on the same page regarding these complex topics, then they can work together to raise their children, rather than working against each other. Divorce can be complicated, even when parents have similar goals. Seeking legal assistance as proactively as possible can be a helpful starting place.
