Divorce is not easy for any parent in New Port Richey nor is it easy for any children involved. While parents may hold a lot of resentment towards one another in a high-conflict divorce it is the children who will pay for their parents’ animosity. It is important for parents to keep their conflict to a minimum in the presence of their child following a divorce. This means resolving child custody and time-sharing disputes in a productive manner. The following are some tips on how to help your child handle the divorce process.
Present a united front
Children do not deserve to be caught in the middle of two warring parents. Each parent needs to avoid talking bad about the other in the child’s presence and should certainly not try to make the child choose sides. When breaking the news of the divorce to the child, they should be honest but avoid discussing unnecessary ugly details. They need to remind their child that they both love the child very much and that the child is not at fault for the divorce.
Adhere to child custody and visitation arrangements
Once you and your ex have a child custody and visitation arrangements set, adhere to them. Make sure you respect your time and your ex’s time by being on time during pick-ups and drop-offs. Encourage your child to have a healthy relationship with your ex. And make sure you do not bend the parental rules in your home simply because of the divorce. Children need consistency, structure and routine.
Consider mediating your divorce
Parents who are considering divorce must keep in mind that they will stay connected to one another even after the divorce is complete, because they will continue to raise their child together. For this reason, you may want to consider mediating your divorce. Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution process in which you and your ex along with a mediator will settle your child custody and other divorce issues out-of-court. The mediator is a neutral third-party. The mediator is not a decision maker. Instead, they act as a facilitator helping you and your ex negotiate your divorce issues with the goal of reaching an out-of-court settlement that is acceptable to you both. People who mediate their divorce may expose their child to less conflict and may be happier with the outcome of their divorce as they have had more of a say in the outcome.
Learn more about child custody in Florida
Most parents going through a divorce in New Port Richey want to support their child throughout the process and help their child adjust to the new normal post-divorce. Taking a more cooperative approach and less adversarial approach to the divorce process may help. This post is for educational purposes only and does not contain legal advice. Our firm’s webpage on divorce mediation may be of interest to those who want to learn more about this topic.