When Indiana couples get divorced and have children, much of the emphasis rightly centers on the kids. Your kids are already going through enough changes that can impact their lives, and you do not want to do anything to inflame the situation. Here are some tips to maintain as much normalcy as possible for the children during the divorce.
Keeping structure and rules for children
About the worst thing that you can do during a divorce is to try to turn the children against the other parent. This almost never ends well, and in the best-case scenario, the children end up with psychological damage. You also need to maintain structure and expectations for the children as much as possible, resisting the urge to ease up on rules to curry earn their favor. The best outcome for the children involves maintaining normalcy in the face of all of the upheaval that the children are experiencing.
Talk to your kids frequently
What you need to do as a parent is to make yourself available to the children emotionally during this time. Even if you are struggling yourself, you need to be strong as far as the children are concerned. This means that you check in with them periodically to see how they are doing and take the time to talk through their issues. It is unavoidable that the divorce will affect the children, but you can minimize some of the harshest effects.
Sometimes, the conflict between the parents makes things worse for children in a divorce. Parents need to take a step back to lower the temperature level of the divorce. Hiring a family law attorney is one way to help bring the divorce to a better resolution without the need for bitter litigation. The attorney could advise you on how to compromise and when it is best to do so. This will help your children adjust to post-divorce life better.