According to research, there are almost 800,000 divorces in the US each year. Unfortunately, in many cases, these divorces hurt more than the couple involved. Children also feel the impact.
It is an unfortunate reality that people often overlook the effect of divorce on children. At times, parents are so angry at each other, they are unable to consider how the battle impacts their children. While parents are looking forward to the changes, children struggle to figure out where they fit, their loyalties to each parent and manage their changing world. Whilst it will be the right thing for parents to get a divorce, especially if they have gone through all the other avenues and ended up speaking to lawyers such as Peters and may to sort the divorce out, it is still a hard thing to go through, and children will feel the effects either straight away or down the line.
Let’s take a closer look at how the right counseling services can help minimize the impact of divorce on your kids.
The Impact of Divorce
Divorce can often be a traumatic experience for children. Listening to their parents fighting, and not understanding what’s happening, can lead to them acting out.
Here are some of the ways in which divorce impacts children of all ages.
Lower Academic Performance
While divorce is difficult for everyone involved, it can leave children particularly confused. Because they often don’t understand the reason for the divorce or the complications that come with it, they may experience some disruption in their daily life.
Because of this disruption, they find it hard to focus on their schoolwork. Divorce can lead to an increased chance of various psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, and panic attacks in kids. This can lead to lower academic performance and affect their future prospects. It’s essential to address these issues as soon as possible. One way of doing that could be by choosing the appropriate law firm that can help you expedite the divorce process and provide suggestions on how to handle kids with caution throughout the process. In that regard, you can take the help of the internet. For instance, if you are from Schaumburg, searching for ‘divorce attorneys in Schaumburg‘ or ‘ divorce attorney near me’ on the internet can help you get hold of a good law firm.
Increased Irritability
When children feel overwhelmed, they sometimes don’t know how to react and can become irritable and angry. Unfortunately, they can direct this anger in different ways to various people. This includes:
- Parents
- Grandparents
- Teachers
- School friends
Normally, they become less angry after a few weeks. However, if the anger persists, it is important to get professional help. If they react violently or misbehave, they can receive sanctions from their school, which lead to a further decrease in their academic performance.
Less Interest in Usual Social Activities
According to a study of 3,500 elementary school kids, children of divorcees are more likely to experience setbacks in their social skills. These kids are more prone to suffer from:
- Anxiety
- Loneliness
- Sadness
- Low self-esteem
These feelings often lead to kids having a harder time relating to others. This means that they end up having less social contact. Over time, they can give up on social activities altogether.
Unfortunately, these social activities not only help mold a child’s social skills but also their physical abilities. Divorce can also cause obesity and physical fitness issues due to losing interest in activities like sports. To reduce the impact of divorce and provide your kids an outlet to manage emotions like frustration, anger, and sadness, you can enroll them in martial arts jacksonville fl (or near your location). Physical activities, including regular sports like football, basketball, and swimming, along with taekwondo and martial arts could be a great way for children to express themselves and reduce negative emotions that could be the cause of depression.
Minimize the Negative Impact on Your Children with the Right Counseling
Divorce and children are usually a bad combination, but divorce is a fact of life, and in some cases it can lead to a positive outcome for both the parents and the child. The key to minimizing the impact of divorce on children is to seek the right professional help – be it in the form of a team of professional Denver Family Lawyers for a smooth litigation process or an expert counselor who can guide you and your child through these tumultuous times.
At the Braden Counseling Center, we offer counseling services for divorcing couples with children. We evaluate the situation based on the child’s age and level of development to asses which situation will offer them the most stability.
To find out more about our services and how we can help you, contact us today.