Common Signs Your Child May Be Struggling to Cope With Your Divorce

 Posted on March 17, 2020 in Children of divorce

Each year, thousands of American children experience their parents' divorce. This can be difficult for many kids to process and understand, and it can lead to other issues that can be of great concern to parents. During a divorce, one of the most common things parents report as being worrisome is how their children will cope. While many children have the ability to adjust to the divorce with supportive parenting and guidance, some kids can still struggle. A child’s difficulty with coping with the divorce can manifest in many ways, some of which can be frustrating or confusing to parents. Here are a few signs that your child is having a hard time accepting your divorce:

• Behavioral issues: Once of the most common signs that your child is not coping with the stress of divorce is through his or her behavior. If your child is exhibiting behaviors that are out of his or her normal way of acting, he or she may be suffering from the stress of the situation. This can manifest in a child returning to behaviors that he or she had grown out of, such as a school-aged child throwing temper tantrums. Another type of behavioral issue could be a child acting out in school or frequently getting in trouble for misbehavior.

• Frequent and/or recurrent nightmares: It can sometimes be hard to determine if a young child is experiencing depression or anxiety. A common symptom of these psychological conditions in a child who is five to seven years old is nightmares. Kids at these ages often have wild imaginations that can get the best of them during their sleep. If your child is frequently waking because of nightmares or night terrors, he or she may be struggling with anxiety or depression about your divorce.

• Changes in sleeping habits: Similarly, a child who is experiencing depression or anxiety will often show changes in his or her sleep patterns. You may notice that your child is having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, is uncharacteristically wetting the bed, asking for a pacifier, or throwing tantrums at bedtime. If you have an adolescent, you may notice that he or she is sleeping more than normal or at strange intervals. These can all be signs that the stress of a divorce is affecting him or her.

Contact a Batavia Divorce Lawyer

If you are concerned that your child is having trouble dealing with your divorce, you should first examine your divorce situation. Is your divorce contentious and argumentative? Do you and your spouse fight in front of your child? If so, you may want to consider speaking with a Kane County divorce attorney who can help you resolve your legal issues in a cooperative manner. At the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C., we can help you and your spouse work together to have a more peaceful divorce, relieving stress on everyone in the family. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at 630-409-8184.

Sources:

https://www.ourfamilywizard.com/blog/behavioral-issues-children-after-divorce

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/apologies-freud/201006/elementary-school-kids-and-divorce-what-parents-need-know-part-two-two

https://www.psycom.net/kids-and-divorce