Thinking Of The Children Who Suffer From The Effects Of Divorce
Divorce is a devastating process for all parties involved. However, the people that the effects of divorce can be the most devastating for is the children from the marriage. Children might have several feelings about divorce, depending on how young they are. They might not understand what's going on, or they might feel forced to take sides. Whatever the case, one of the most important parts of the divorce process is ensuring that the effects of the divorce on the children are as smooth and seamless as possible.
The Young 'Uns
Young children feel the effects of divorce because oftentimes, they do not understand what exactly is happening. Children five, six, and seven years old cannot make rhyme or reason about why their parents don't love each other anymore. And while they do not need to be told in detail the reasons behind the divorce, they should be told that the divorce is not their fault. The effect of divorce on many young children is the tendency to think that it is somehow their own fault-and it is up to the parents to tell them that this is not true.
Acting Out
Another common effect of divorce on children is that the children begin to act out, in school and at home. Divorces can be long, time consuming processes-and many times, the kids get lost in the shuffle. Children will often act out in order to get their parent's attention. It is important that parents in the process of getting a divorce continue to devote time to their children.
Dealing With Devastation
Many marriages end on good terms. However, other marriages end in divorce as the result of a disaster-an affair, or a history of domestic violence. While getting a divorce is the first step toward eliminating the effect of these two monstrosities on the children involved, it is not the last step. Domestic violence and infidelity can leave long lasting effects on children, even after the divorce. Some children might have trouble trusting the opposite sex, and some may have relationship problems later on. Providing counseling for children if needed is important in order to help them handle the effects of divorce.
Parental Responsibilities
Though a divorce is caused by the problems between parents, the effects of the divorce on the children of the marriage are greater than those on others. These effects should be the primary concern of the parents-after all, handling them falls under basic parental responsibilities.
