The primary thing that children want when their parents divorce is to have their parents get back together again. This is true no matter how young or old the children are. Except in extremely rare situations, this does not happen. Parents must find other ways to meet their family’s needs and to be good parents to their children as they move forward into their new separate lives.
Here are some tips to better understand what your children will want from their divorcing parents.
- Children want to know that you both still love them despite the new living arrangements.
- Children need to know the divorce is not their fault.
- Children don’t want one parent to talk badly about the other parent.
- Children don’t want to be messengers between their parents.
- Children don’t want to see their parents cry. Go to your room and shut the door or visit with a friend, but don’t let the children see you frequently crying.
- Children want their parents to be able to sit in the same row when they graduate, get married, or baptize their own children.
- Children want you both at their music and dance recitals or at sports games like soccer. It means the world to your children when both of their parents can attend these events.
How a Collaborative Divorce Facilitates Co-Parenting
In a Collaborative Divorce, you and your spouse agree to settle the issues in their divorce outside of court. When it comes to making decisions about your children you have the benefit of a mental health therapist, who is a professional who can work with you and your children to make decisions that are in the best interests of your family.
The collaborative process teaches parents to use tools that will help your children to be as emotionally healthy as possible.
If you have questions about the divorce process, your specific situation, or whether a Collaborative Divorce or traditional litigation will work best for you, contact Julia Bancroft, PC, at 281-895-1885 to schedule a consultation.