There are few things in this world as emotionally charged as a divorce. Often times, spouses are so involved with fighting each other that the children are often overlooked.
Texas children can often be put in the middle of the divorce, even though the reasons for the divorce have nothing to do with them – parents need to remember this, and do whatever they can to prevent children from being adversely impacted by the feuding adults.
Tips for Divorcing Parents
The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers had provided the State Bar of Texas with tips for parents when dealing with children after a divorce – these tips include:
- Never criticize your ex-spouse in front of your children
- Don’t use your child as a messenger between you and your ex-spouse as it is better to insulate the child from the conflict
- Reassure your children that they are not the reason for the divorce as many children assume they are at fault
- Do everything you can to encourage your children to spend time with your former spouse
- If you do not have custody make sure to pay child support because the loss of income puts your children at a financial disadvantage
- If you do have custody and the other parent is not paying child support, do not tell the children as this may increase their felling of abandonment
- If possible, do not uproot your children as stability helps insulate children from the trauma of the divorce
Divorces can be emotionally detrimental to not only the spouses getting the divorce, but also for the children. An experienced attorney can provide helpful guidance to a spouse considering divorce, which will hopefully alleviate some of the stress and ultimately help the parents put the children’s needs first.