If you have children and you’re getting divorced, you may have a fairly good idea of the things that you should do. You should tell the children you love them. You should tell them that the divorce is not their fault. You should be there to support them and answer their questions.
But what about the flip side? What are some things that you shouldn’t do?
Don’t make your children choose sides
To start with, do not make your children pick between you and your spouse. There are some situations in which children may want to have a say in their custody arrangement. However, you should never make them feel like they are coming between the two of you or that they have to choose one parent whom they love more than the other.
Don’t involve your kids in your adult discussions
When you and your spouse are having discussions about your upcoming divorce, you want to keep the children out of it as much as possible. They should be informed that you’re getting a divorce, but you don’t want to use them to send messages to your spouse or anything of this nature.
Don’t try to create a narrative
Generally speaking, you don’t want to blame your co-parent for the divorce or say anything negative about them in front of the children. This is true even if you believe that you are correct. You don’t want to create a narrative where they have a negative opinion of their other parent.
As you go through divorce and set up a child custody agreement, be sure you have sound legal guidance. This can help you do what’s in the best interests of your children.