It’s no secret that divorce can be challenging for everyone involved – including children. But parents still like to think that they’re doing what’s best for themselves and their children when they choose to end a marriage. If you’re worried about whether divorce is bad for children, the Burnsville, MN divorce Mediators at Amber M Serwat Mediation can help put your mind at ease. With years of experience as divorce mediators, we have seen the effects of divorce on children, and we understand how to prevent and combat those effects through healthier divorces. When thinking of the effects of divorce on children, it’s important to remember that there are both short-term effects and long-term effects of divorce, both of which can be prevented and addressed in different ways. One of the most important things you can do, though, is to understand divorce from your children’s perspective.
Initial Effects of Divorce on Children
For almost all children, there are some initial effects of divorce. However, for most children, these effects do not last. According to the Scientific American, children typically experience initial emotional effects like anxiety, shock, anger, and disbelief, whether there have been warning signs of divorce or not. In fact, often times, the warning signs you see that tell you a divorce may be imminent may not always be obvious to children – especially children who are optimistic about your relationship with your spouse. Especially concerning “messy” divorces, there is less trauma associates with a divorce than there is with the consistent fighting most couples experience during their relationship before a divorce. Overall, though, as long as the conflict in a divorce is kept to a minimum, children are often able to cope with divorce easily after a short adjustment period, sometimes recovering faster than their parents.
Long-Term Effects on Children After a Divorce
For many children, there are no long-term effects of divorce, but for others, especially those who witnessed a more volatile divorce process, there may be longer-lasting emotional and psychological effects of divorce that follow them through childhood, and possibly through adulthood. Although research suggests that children do not usually experience negative effects of divorce later on in life, there are those who continue to suffer from depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and difficulties with adult tasks and responsibilities, including forming meaningful relationships. Again, having a low-conflict divorce can substantially help children in a divorce, and at Amber M Serwat Mediation, our Burnsville, Minnesota divorce mediators want to help make sure you avoid an adversarial divorce by working through a mediated divorce quickly. If you’re looking for more information about how divorce may affect children, or you want to help your child have an easy transition into your post-divorce lifestyle, contact us today at 952-252-1492 or amber@amsmediationplus.com.
