Child custody issues affect children more than parents realize

Children of parents undergoing divorce face big adjustments with new living arrangements, often moving from one house to another whether they like it or not. When custody issues are finalized, children – especially teenagers – often do not feel good about their weekend experiences of going back and forth between homes, or even between different parts of a huge state like California.

Of course, family law concerns such as child support and child custody are common in divorce, and they affect everyone involved. But family legal issues affect children even more than their parents because they do not fully understand the situation they’re in and have so little say in what happens.

Divorcing parents often become very busy as separation begins and legal settlements emerge. Parents spend time with legal professionals working out child custody plans and addressing other issues involved in divorce. Children may feel torn between their parents during the process, and once divorce is finalized they simply want to move on with their lives – just like their parents.

However, post-divorce children and teens have more issues to consider when making what should be simple decisions. For example, a teenage girl who is invited to sleep over at a friend’s house for the weekend may know that she needs to change residence and visit her other parent during those two days, even though she would prefer to spend time with her friends.

Parents need to learn how to adjust to their children’s needs ashttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/edward-d-farber-phd/hell-no-i-wont-go_b_2600377.html they grow older, keeping in mind the complexity of such adjustments after a divorce. Pushing visitation issues too far can keep teenagers from enjoying otherwise normal social lives, for instance. Both parents must learn to cooperate after divorce to ensure that their children’s needs are met. In fact, their children may love them even more if they do. As with so many things, though, sitting down and having a civil conversation can be easier said than done. When navigating such family issues as these, parents should discuss them with their respective legal professionals with the best interests of their children in mind.

Source: Huffingtonpost.com, “Hell no: I won’t go,” Edward D. Farber, Feb. 9, 2013