On behalf of Gary Kirk of Kirk Montoute Dawson LLP posted in Family Law on Tuesday, January 29, 2019.
The ways in which parents handle divorce impacts their children greatly. First, it is crucial to let children know — no matter what has been transpiring in the home — that they are not the reason for the divorce. Parents have access to information and family law tools in Canada to help them to help their children in this situation — everything from how to tell children about the divorce, to how to encourage them to be open about their feelings and what is happening.
The family law system in Canada operates on the premise of what is best for the children. Keeping this in mind, children’s routines need to be kept as undisturbed as possible. That means continuing to go to the same school, taking part in the same extracurricular activities and seeing the same health care professionals. It also means that if parents don’t really get along, it’s time for them to put that on the back burner and ensure they aren’t using their children as go betweens or sounding boards.
It is also imperative children understand that the relationships they have with their extended family members will still be solid. If they have loving relationships with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, reassure them that this won’t change. It’s important to keep an extra special eye on children and to know the signs that they may be having trouble dealing with life changes. These signs can include sadness, anxiety, behaviour that is not normal for the child such as acting out, problems in school or changes in eating and/or sleeping patterns.
Family law lawyers in Canada can give their clients a realistic range of reasonable results when it comes to how the law can help when it comes to children. Divorce is never easy. But knowing there are tools to be able to help get through the process may make the going a little less tough.
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