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Children can move forward after divorce without serious repercussions, but it takes the dedication and support of both parents. Parents who are planning on divorce can take measures to reduce its overall impact on the children. Divorce lawyers can help build the right support into parenting plans. A parent can also take the time to understand the emotional responses kids commonly have to the parents’ divorce.
Understanding the Impact of Divorce on Children
Divorce affects children in four primary ways. These are:
- Emotional
- Psychological
- Academic
- Physical
By becoming aware of these impacts, parents can take steps to help children heal.
Reducing the Physical Stress of Divorce
Children face physical stress when parents divorce that can lead to health risks and concerns. Research has found that children who are living in divorced households are at higher risk for illness and injury. To reduce this risk, parents can keep up with annual well-child visits, vaccinations, and trips to the doctor if a child is sick. Divorce lawyers can add wording to parenting agreements that states how medical care needs will be handled.
Reducing the Emotional Stress of Divorce
One of the biggest areas where children suffer in divorce is emotionally. Children do not typically have the emotional fortitude to deal with these strong emotions well. Sometimes, a child will need counseling or therapy to work out his or her feelings. Without proper emotional support, these problems can follow children into adulthood. In addition to getting professional help for the children, parents can reassure children of love and care. Parents can also work to minimize the conflicts that the children may see and talk about the divorce in a healthy manner.
Supporting Academic Success After Divorce
There are a number of factors that make it harder for children to succeed academically after divorce. Not all of these are things parents can help with, but lack of parental involvement increases the risk of struggle. When children are navigating two households, it’s easy for parents to fail to follow through on academic involvement. Working to stay involved with children’s learning will help prevent academic problems that arise after a divorce. Divorce lawyers can help parents outline responsibilities in parenting plans so both parties know what the other is doing and nothing slips through the cracks.
