During a divorce, your anger may ebb and flow, especially when it comes to working through financial and custody issues. It is crucial, however, to keep these negative feelings at bay in front of the children.
If your separation and divorce are especially contentious, you may unnecessarily expose your child to a toxic environment. When children have to deal with feuding parents, the impact on their development may prove detrimental. Find out how your actions may set your children up for difficulties ahead.
Fighting in front of the children
The most overt toxic behavior children witness during and after divorce is fighting. Disagreements may frighten children and make them feel less loved and secure. They may start to pull away or regress. You can stop this by communicating in writing or through a third party, such as an attorney. Doing so removes the emotional factor a face-to-face encounter may cause.
Exhibiting passive-aggressive behavior
Making off-handed comments about the other parent is a surefire way to taint your children’s emotional wellbeing. Even at young ages, children are perceptive and especially sensitive when it comes to picking up on underlying meanings in everything. While you may believe a comment is not harmful, it may prove otherwise. If the other parent finds out that you are behaving in this way, you may find yourself back in family court at a custody modification hearing.
When faced with a contentious divorce, focusing on the wellbeing of your children may save you and them from an emotional ripple effect. Moving forward with your new circumstances and doing so with a positive attitude is what your children need you to do.
