Both parents are likely to feel upset and distressed during the divorce procedure. Eventually, these feelings will subside and adults can be good at developing different coping mechanisms.
It’s important to note that children will also face similar feelings. In fact, they are likely to be heightened and they may not yet have developed suitable coping strategies. You can help them with this as a parent by creating age-appropriate tasks. It can be difficult for children to express their emotions in verbal conversations, so it is important to think outside of the box. Drawing pictures is one useful way to gauge how the divorce is impacting your child.
What should you ask?
Pictures can kick off a meaningful conversation with your child. You may ask your child to draw a pictural representation of what the divorce means to them as well as what they wish to happen in the future. Once they have portrayed this, you can begin to break the subject matter down and gain a more in-depth understanding of their emotions.
Why pictures?
Negative emotions can be difficult to depict in words, especially for children. Perhaps you could request that your child draw a face to indicate how they are feeling. Sad and angry faces may be simple, but they offer an invaluable insight into your child’s frame of mind. You can incorporate this process into playtime, rather than taking your child out of their comfort zone.
There are also options for you to display your stance on the situation through pictures, which can be a great source of comfort. You may choose to draw a picture of your new home, with your child included in the drawing. There may also be an opportunity to draw something that includes your ex, indicating that you are still amicable, despite the divorce.
Knowing exactly what to do to assist your child through a divorce is not easy, but there are ways to comfort them. As you move forward with your life after marriage, make sure you remember your legal rights as a parent in Philadelphia.