Find Legal Topics > Divorce Laws > How Does Divorce Affect Children

How Does Divorce Affect Children


How Does Divorce Affect Children?

There’s one troubling issue involving divorce that may at times fall by the wayside. It’s simply this: the children (if present). It begs the important question: how does divorce affect children?

The Negatives

Here are some common issues that can negatively impact children during a divorce:

1. Competition Between Parents
2. Loss of Love
3. Confusion
4. Depression
5. Anger
6. Questions, Questions, Questions

And to be fair, there are plenty more negatives that can be listed. For the most part, these are probably the most relevant.

Divorce, if not handled correctly, can be very damaging on a child(ren). Typically parents may divorce simply on the fact that they can’t get along, and that then transfers to issues regarding the love of a child(ren).

Some parents will fight over the child(ren). A parent may even ‘abandon’ a child(ren) emotionally, mentally, and maybe even physically – all because of a poorly handled divorce.

The question of how does divorce affect children further gets negative when evidence has been presented that the child(ren) feel a sense of loss in the family, that it’s “terrible that mom and dad don’t love each other.”

In addition, depression, anger, and even more questions can become an issue, leading to more emotional problems for a child(ren). It further begs that question of how does divorce affect children in the hopes that there can be a positive answer somewhere.

Unfortunately, when a divorce isn’t handled correctly and the parents don’t consider the real factor in a divorce case – the children – there can be no positive answer.

This is sadly not any viable result of the divorce law system. The responsibility of these negatives solely rests on the shoulders of the parents involved.

The Positives

However, the question of how does divorce affect children can be positive –

And that all depends on the parents. Here are some steps parents can take to ensure that the child(ren) have the best possible outcome in a divorce:

1. Emphasizing a Partnership With Parenting
2. Getting Along While Apart
3. Focusing More on the Children Than Selfish Needs
4. Following the Decree of Divorce

This is the correct way to answer the question: “How does divorce affect children?”

By making sure that the child(ren) realize they still have both parents even when they’re not together. By making sure that the child(ren) see that both mom and dad can actually function like normal human beings that aren’t at each other’s throat over every little thing. By making sure that the child(ren) feels like they still matter in the family life. And by making sure that the child(ren) have an opportunity to spend a fair amount of time with both parents and know that he/she/they are being taken care of well by two parents that are working together.

That’s How Children Survive Divorce

Parents need to work together – even when they don’t like each other.

When everything is said and done, what matters most are those kids and what happens to them in the future. Everything else ends up coming in second – as it should.

Related Topics