Your divorce can impact your children in a number of ways, causing emotional distress and uncertainty. Knowing of the changes taking place at home, your children may struggle to stay focused at school.
Without adequate support and reassurance, the stress of a changing family dynamic can cause stress and anxiety for your children. If ignored, these problems can worsen and affect behavior.
Give Reassurance
After hearing about your divorce, your children will want to know who will care for them and have other important questions. Will they need to move? Will there still be enough money to buy groceries and pay for extracurricular activities? Will they need to split their time between two different households?
The best thing you can do is to provide reassurance. Reiterate your love for your children. Remind them of the opportunities and other positive things that accompany this change. Reassure them that they will have their basic needs met.
Show Support
Your children will need your help to navigate the difficult emotions that often accompany such disappointing news. One thing you can do is help them identify a good way to tell their friends about what has happened at home.
Your children might have a hard time focusing on school if they have concerns about what their friends will think when news of your divorce spreads. Create a concise explanation and have your children practice telling you.
Create Stability
Lack of stability can cause distraction, anxiety, and behavioral challenges at school for your children. Health professionals recommend talking to your children about divorce in an age-appropriate way. Refrain from speaking critically about your soon-to-be-ex. Create a stable home environment. Do your best to keep your children’s routine the same as it was before your divorce.
Inform your children’s schoolteachers of the situation at home. Encourage your children to talk about their concerns. If needed, seek professional mental health counseling. Giving love, reassurance, support, and stability to your children can help them stay focused at school despite the circumstances at home.
