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Avoid these common parenting mistakes after divorce

On Behalf of | Mar 8, 2021 | Blog, Divorce

Going through a divorce in Michigan is hard on the entire family. When parents are dealing with their own loss, thinking about how to maintain healthy roles with their kids can be challenging.

If you’re facing this unfortunate situation, knowing how to co-parent in a healthy way might not always seem obvious. Use the following tips to avoid some of the most common parenting mistakes after divorce.

Disagreeing over minor issues

Dealing with your ex can be hard, and there’s no roadmap to learning how to communicate in a new way. As much as possible, try to let go of minor things. Decide what’s most important when it comes to raising your kids so you can pick your battles carefully.

Speaking negatively about your co-parent

Never bring your kids into the middle of your problems with your ex by bad-mouthing your co-parent. This will make your children feel like they have to choose sides, which will only cause them more emotional pain.

Assuming that your kids don’t understand what’s going on

Another big mistake co-parents make is thinking that children don’t really know what’s going on. You might assume that acting like everything’s okay will fool your kids, but it won’t. Kids are far more intuitive than adults might realize, and they can usually pick up on things like:

  • Body language
  • Stress
  • Tension

Parenting out of guilt

Because of the trauma caused by divorce, many parents respond out of guilt instead of thinking about the best interest of their kids. It can feel tempting to want to overindulge your kids, but this can cause them to have unrealistic expectations about life as they grow older.

There’s no easy way to get though a divorce, especially when kids are involved. Use the above tips to keep your focus on being a good parent post-divorce.

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