Your relationship with your spouse is at a low point. Things have gotten so bad that you are considering divorce if you have not begun the divorce process already.
Protecting children of divorce in Ohio
Because of the hurt feelings and lack of trust on both sides, you can expect your divorce to be contentious. You might be ready for a fight, but you don’t want your children to get caught in the middle. Fortunately, if your ex agrees, there are strategies you can adopt to minimize the strain and trauma of divorce for your kids. They include:
- Keep conflict away from the children. Avoid arguing with your ex in front of them or complaining about him or her to the kids. Remember, your children love and depend on your ex too. Keep your venting to therapy or conversations with friends that are away from the children.
- Keep disruptions to your children’s day-to-day lives to a minimum. Obviously, things will be different. Instead of living with both parents, the kids will split time between two homes or only see one parent during visitation time. But you can still make sure that their schedule is the same as it was before the breakup as much as possible. For example, you can keep them in the same school, continue to drive them to their sports games, etc.
- Work it out with your ex so that you both stay a big part of the children’s lives. Make it clear that the divorce will not mean either of you will stop being their parent, no matter what.
One of the best ways you can protect your children’s feelings during your divorce — and help them adjust to post-divorce life — is to resolve your divorce as quickly as possible. Even if you are in a contentious divorce, you can work with an experienced attorney to avoid unnecessary delays.