When married couples decide divorce is the only way to resolve their problems, they face many worries. If they share children, their greatest fear may be whether the divorce will harm the emotional well-being of the kids.
Divorce is hard on the whole family, and some children do suffer psychologically, especially in combative or bitter situations. Even so, many parents have found that divorce enriched life for their kids in the following ways.
Closer parent-child bonds
Your post-divorce life will probably allow you to spend more alone time with your kids. Every moment you engage with and care for them enhances their emotional well-being. All children benefit from the active presence of at least one stable parent in a safe environment.
Less parental stress
Children know when their parents are sad or upset, and it often causes them to experience stressful feelings as well. Once removed from your marital stress and settled into post-divorce life, you will likely feel much better. Positivity is contagious. Your kids may pick up on your improved mental health and begin to feel more like they did before the divorce.
Monitor them during and after divorce
You never want to diminish or ignore the potentially harmful psychological effects (pervasive sadness, guilt, anger, etc.) ending a marriage can have on children. However, if you monitor their mental and emotional health throughout your divorce, you have a good chance of identifying potentially serious problems.
Divorce and child custody laws can change rapidly in New Jersey. It is wise to stay abreast of these laws in case you need to modify your custody and visitation arrangements to help a struggling child. Experienced legal representation can also play a critical role in resolving child-related divorce issues.