One of the most important decisions divorcing parents face is how to allocate parenting time and resources to their children. Many parents in Illinois worry that their divorce will have a negative impact on their children. Statistics regarding how children of divorce fare can add a lot of anxiety to an already difficult process.
While it’s true that children’s lives will change as the result of their parent’s divorce, they can still have a happy, healthy childhood and maintain a close relationship with both parents. Parents will need to take some steps to ensure that they maintain a supportive environment for their children. It’s tempting for parents to want to micromanage the daily details of their children’s lives while they are visiting the other parent, but this doesn’t help anyone. Children are adaptable and will learn what is expected and tolerated at each parent’s house, even if those expectations are widely disparate.
Maintaining a close, open relationship is the most important thing a parent can do to ensure their children’s needs are understood and addressed. If they feel they can communicate with their parents, children are much less likely to suffer ill effects from a divorce. It’s imperative that parents refrain from criticizing each around the children if they want to foster this open communication. Children will shut down if they feel like discussing their feelings will lead to one parent going on a tirade against the other.
Even the most amicable divorce can be complicated when there are issues involving children. Determining child custody is no longer a simple, formulaic plan. Work schedules, the age of children, geographic location, and other aspects will have to be considered. A lawyer with experience in family law may be able to help parents devise the most beneficial settlement agreement for their individual circumstances.
