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Understanding the Effects of Divorce on Children

They cannot make sense.

Studies have shown that divorces can have a bigger impact on children below 8 years of age, they are unable to decipher the changes occurring around them along with their parent’s separation. Changes in their living situation, living with one parent for some days in a week and staying with the other for the rest of the remaining days of that week, changes in their daily routine, having to live with just one parent in some cases, separating siblings or moving home, all these may feel foreign to the child and he may be overwhelmed with certain emotions.

Their social and emotional development may be at risk.

Often children from divorced families tend to have more difficulty socializing with their peer group in any form of social setting such as school, playground, parties, parks, and so on. They often feel left out, sad, depressed, angry, lonely and anxious, they also tend to have lower self-esteem compared to the children of married parents.

Educational setbacks.

Divorce can be linked to the child’s setback in education, often leading them to drop out of school in the long run. Children feed off of their parents’ emotions and when they see them struggling to cope and meet ends it will be stressful for them as well. Studies show that they face more difficulty in math since it requires a lot of concentration and when one feels anxious it may pose as a challenge to go through complex mathematical operations.

Regressive behaviors.

The younger children might demonstrate regressive behaviors such as wetting the bed, thumb-sucking, waking up several times at night, or refusing to sleep on their bed, in response to a divorce. They often become more dependent on the parents and require a lot of reassurance and physical contact.

Teenagers

The effects divorce has on older children may slightly be different as compared to younger children, sure they are prone to have setbacks in school or drop out of it. On the other hand, they may become more independent as compared to younger children. They will be required to take on additional responsibility to take care of themselves or even younger siblings in some cases. They may also become rebellious, defiant, and show signs of aggressive behaviors as a way to gain their parents’ attention. The relationship of their parents often influences the teens’ relationships and may later affect their marital status.

Decide what’s best for the child.

The parents should understand that a divorce may feel like, the end of the world for the children and take all the necessary steps required to make things easier during the transactional period. The best child therapist in Rye, NY should be provided to the children for them to have a better understanding of what is going on around them and to deal with their social and emotional issues.