Manhattan Child Custody Lawyer Discusses How Divorce Impacts a Child’s Life

No matter what age a child is, divorce brings dramatic change to the child’s life.

When the child has to adjust between two different households, the absence of one parent while living with the other, it creates a challenging atmosphere in the household. 

Divorce tends to magnify the child’s dependence.  The child that once depended on stability and security is faced with transitioning back and forth between two households and subject to unfamiliar surroundings and happenings. 

Younger children fantasize of the day that their parents will get back together and reunite.  They rely on wishful thinking to deal with the pain associated with the loss of their parents living together. 

After the divorce or even during separation, some parents think it is healthy to celebrate special holidays with the child together, but this only delays the child’s adjustment process.  By giving a child even a glimpse of hope by seeing their parents together again; even if it is just for one day, only gives the child a false perception of reality.

In such an unstable environment, it is important to reassure your child that they will always be well taken care of, that they will always be loved, and that just because the parents are no longer living together, that does not mean that they will be left without the other parent. 

For the child’s sake, it is essential to create an environment that is predictable and provides a sense of security.  Both parents need to work hard to establish routine visitation as well as a familiar home environment so that the child knows what to expect and feel more secure in each household.  By establishing daily routines for the child, it allows the child to feel more in control of their life.  It also provides reassurance that both parents love the child just as much as they did when they were together and are committed to making the new living arrangements work.  

Manhattan Child Custody Lawyer Can Help with Setting Up Proper Visitation Schedules

To learn more about creating a child visitation schedule that provides stability for your child, contact Manhattan Child Custody Lawyer Sabra Sasson at (646) 472-7971.