Divorce is hard on everyone involved, and sometimes it can be hardest on the couple’s children. In particularly difficult cases, a divorce can have an emotional and psychological toll that stays with the child indefinitely. The child will react differently depending on their age and maturity level but no matter what, the child will have feelings in the situation.
Although a divorced family faces many challenges, there are still ways that the parents can move through the process in a manner that causes the least amount of difficulty for the child.
Divorce from the child’s perspective
Children have to face a lot of disruption in their lives when their parents are divorcing, such as changes in where the child will live, confusion about why things have to change and why their parents’ love for each other seems to have changed. The child often feels responsible for the divorce and feels guilty about it. If the child is older, they may feel angry because their life is being disrupted. In that situation, it is common for the child to blame one of the parents for the divorce.
In many cases, a child of divorce will experience many different emotions and their age may dictate what those emotions are, including grief and sadness, anger, embarrassment, and feeling alone. If you combine those feelings with the idea that the parent is no longer there full-time, the results can be traumatic.
The consequences of divorce
Children may experience anxiety and depression, behavioral problems, bad grades, difficulty focusing, and vulnerability to addiction. That is why getting the child the right kind of help and showing love and attention are essential for everyone’s well-being.
It’s also why it’s important for divorcing parents to try to reduce the level of animosity in divorce when possible, and to keep their hurt feelings away from their children when they can.
An experienced family lawyer in Georgia can offer sound advice and compassionate guidance to you and your family.
