Programs to Help Children With Divorced Parents
By Ruth Riley
It's undeniably clear that divorce is challenging for children of all ages. Still, the good thing is that parents can follow various guidelines to support their kids during and after the process. Below is a list of programs to assist kids in coping with the outcomes of a divorce.
Seek Outside Help
Mental health centers, social service agencies, and family counselors are helpful. Most parents seek professional help to navigate the process when child abuse or domestic violence occurs. Professionals help you plan for contact with the other parent and the best way to communicate with kids about a divorce. Even when the family gets affected by violence, kids may still care for the abusive parent. Helping your children know what's happening is very crucial. Individual therapy helps kids sort out various emotions, whereas family therapy helps address changes in the family structure. If you want to know more about parenting and children, you can check out Motherhood Community.
Enroll in NGO Programs
Parents must solve their disputes correctly to minimize the possibility of depression, anxiety, and stress among their kids. The distress often leads to traumatic events for adolescents, which may culminate into harmful outcomes, including drug and alcohol abuse, poor school performance, and low self-esteem. There are multiple NGO programs to consider, including:
The New Beginnings Program (NBP)
NBP is a group-based program that lasts for ten sessions. The program helps both fathers and mothers assist their kids in adjusting following a separation. NBP enables parents to foster a stronger relationship with their kids by devising more ways to have fun when spending time together. Kids learn the importance of sharing their concerns and worries with parents.
Most children benefit from the NBP program in multiple ways. Such long-term benefits include minimal aggression, better grades, minimal emotional problems, and less substance abuse and use.
Kid's Turn
Kid's Turn is popular among divorced individuals as it minimizes the side effects of divorce on kids. The educational program focuses on skill-building to help the kids manage changes after a divorce. Kid's Turn offers support for parents and kids to cope with separation. Children and parent groups run concurrently. The program helps kids cope with the anger, loss, and fear of divorce. It awakens parents to the importance of supporting children during this crisis to avoid risky behavior. It also enhances kids' lives via improved communication and the understanding that they aren't alone.
Start a Conversation
Following a divorce, both parents should maintain open communication lines with each other. Kids have multiple fears, questions, and worries about divorce. Ensure you make the conversation comfortable to allow the kids to express their feelings, to facilitate a more effortless adjustment to divorce's various changes. Children may fail to put their questions into words or express their feelings. Good communication occurs in many settings, such as in the car, during dinner, on walks, or bedtime. Discuss their worries and give room for questions to assist them in expressing their feelings regarding the divorce.
Communicate From a Distance
Coping with divorce is difficult for kids, especially when one parent relocates to a considerable distance. The children must cope with the divorce effects and adjust to not seeing that parent more often. The listed tips can help parents and kids to maintain healthy relationships over long distances.
Exchange video and audio recordings: Seeing or hearing each other during daily activities or special occasions strengthens your bond.
Start a postcard club: Every person likes receiving mail. Ensure you give some stamped cards to your kids and send a card weekly.
Family website: A family website is an excellent way to share pictures and information.
Email each other: Sending emails is a convenient and fast way to maintain close ties with your children.
Encourage Emotional Expression Through Pictures
Children may experience worry, anger, sadness, guilt, confusion, loneliness, and embarrassment when their parents divorce. Many kids face difficulties expressing their feelings, but drawing pictures may prove more effortless for them to tell how they feel. The process helps kids express themselves positively, allowing parents to know their children's thoughts regarding how they think about a divorce. Ask specific questions when your kid draws a picture to help decipher the feelings associated with the image. Please encourage them to explain to you what they have drawn and be supportive and positive.
Co-parent Peacefully
Intense conflict between parents increases children's distress. Hostility, including threatening and screaming at each other, is often linked to behavioral issues in kids. Minor tension may also cause distress among children. Avoid asking children to take sides or giving them messages to take to the other parent. Children who get caught in the middle of a divorce conflict have a high chance of experiencing anxiety and depression. Parental warmth, low levels of conflict, and positive communication allow kids to develop better academic performance and higher self-esteem following divorce.
Exercise and Play Together
Engaging in routine physical activities helps parents and kids spend quality time with one another, enhancing well-being. Exercising is an excellent way to control angry feelings and tension. Parents and children can participate in multiple activities, including camping, walking, swimming, flying kites, hiking, and rollerblading. Like drawing pictures, play is an excellent way of helping kids express their emotions when talking proves challenging. Playing games with your kids allows them to communicate their feelings more efficiently than just sitting down and having a talk. Role-playing helps deal with difficult situations arising during divorce by acting out scenarios and coming up with possible solutions to such challenges.
Divorce is a complicated process for parents and children to adjust to due to the various emotions synonymous with the process. Parents should provide love for their children despite their struggles to facilitate their well-being. Parents and children can easily navigate the divorce process with creativity and patience.