It’s not surprising that most children whose parents have split up dream of the day when they’re back together again. It’s human nature for kids to want their family to look like it did before the divorce of their parents, but leading them to believe that might happen is not in their — or anyone’s — best interests. Divorced Tennessee parents need to make sure their kids don’t have any unrealistic expectations when it comes to reconciliation.
Explaining to children that divorce is final is not easy, but necessary. A talk doesn’t have to be overly involved. Just stating the facts as they are is usually good enough. Children less than 4 years old need even less explanation than their older siblings. Asking children how they’re feeling and doing is one good way of broaching the subject, and parents should never assume their kids understand that their parents will never be together under the same roof again.
Former spouses, at least in the early stages after divorce, should try to maintain some distance between themselves so the children can see that Mom and Dad aren’t together. Seeing their parents together all the time may confuse children about what divorce really means. Let a child know that he or she was not responsible for the divorce and that no matter what he or she tries to do, the situation is not fixable.
A Tennessee divorce attorney may be able to provide his or her clients with some useful family law tools that may be able to help in such situations. Having a comprehensive parenting plan may be one of those ways. A lawyer’s help in the divorce process may help parents to move forward in accepting their new way of life and so that may also help any children going through the pangs of divorce.
