Family law: Successful co-parenting helps kids cope with divorce

On behalf of Gary Kirk of Kirk Montoute Dawson LLP posted in Family Law on Tuesday, July 3, 2018.

Children often suffer the most when their parents split up. Thankfully, however, there are tools within family law in Alberta that help parents to co-parent their children responsibly even though they’re no longer married. Studies have shown that when parents put their differences aside for the well-being of their children, the children move forward in a healthier emotional state.

When parents work on healing their own pain, they also help their kids. Children are very intuitive and may begin acting out or internalizing feelings when they have trouble processing emotions. It is a parent’s responsibility to work with the other parent to ensure their children are being parented properly and that their needs — not only physical, but emotional — are being met.

Keeping tempers in check for the children’s sake, even when former spouses are less than enamored with each other may help kids to process the changes that are happening in their lives. It’s important that parents don’t make disparaging remarks about each other in front of the kids. Leaving emotions at the door when trying to iron out problems regarding the children is a must for effective co-parenting.

Even though parents are no longer married doesn’t mean they’re still not part of a family. Although the family dynamic changes with divorce, parents can still provide the nurturing and support their kids need. A family law lawyer in Alberta may be able to provide the tools to help their clients with issues pertaining to divorce. A lawyer may be able to help his or her client to fashion a parenting plan or to iron out child custody details which may make for successful co-parenting. 

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