By: Camila Dos Santos, M.Ed. 

Keep talking with young children long after the divorce. 

One of the best ways to help young children cope with anything difficult is to consistently and openly talk about it with them.  An important part of this is to allow them to share without judgment and to refrain from projecting your feelings or fears onto them. 

To support kids long after the divorce, keep open lines of communication to ensure you’re up to speed with how they are coping and being proactive about any maladjusted behaviors. 

This series was adapted from the following article in partnership with Triad Moms on Main.

By: Camila Dos Santos, M. Ed. 

AFTER THE DIVORCE: Co-parent intentionally and respectfully by keeping the kids at the center of conversations between exes. 

Communicating openly, putting the child(ren) at the heart of each discussion, and refraining from discussing relationship issues will help each parent continue to have healthy discussions about how to co-parent after a divorce. 

For more tips on living healthy co-parenting after divorce, check out our HRI Relationship Booster on Effective Co-Parenting After Divorce.  

This series was adapted from the following article in partnership with Triad Moms on Main.

By: Camila Dos Santos, M.Ed. 

AFTER THE DIVORCE: Don’t assume just because the divorce is over, that the kids are “over it.” 

Just because the divorce process is over doesn’t mean that the family is finished adjusting or that the kids are finished processing!

Healing from divorce takes time, and it makes sense that it takes a little longer for children as they need more time to process and accept all of the changes that divorce brings. 

While ex-partners may be anxious to move on quickly, it’s important to remember that just because the proceedings are over doesn’t mean that healing is.

This series was adapted from the following article in partnership with Triad Moms on Main.

By: Camila Dos Santos, M.Ed. 

Tip 2: Don’t take misbehavior or negative emotions by young kids personally. 

Going through a divorce is hard on the entire family. It’s important for parents to remember not to take the things that their children may do personally.  When children are struggling to deal with a situation, they can respond by misbehaving or through other negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or frustration. 

If you notice that your child(ren) seems overwhelmed, consider going for a walk outside and giving them an opportunity to talk about it or doing an arts and crafts project together while asking them open-ended questions about their feelings. 

Having coping strategies in place can help minimize negative behaviors in young children and help the entire family cope with tough days during a divorce. However, it may not prevent misbehavior entirely, and so parents must remember not to take this personally during a divorce. 

This series was adapted from the following article.