How is Collaborative Divorce better for the kids?
Experts say that Collaborative Divorce is better for the kids. Why is that?
Any time we can get parents on the same page, making decisions for the kids together - the kids benefit. This is not different during a divorce process.
On the other side of the Collaborative Divorce, we see kids that are well-adjusted, firm in their knowledge that their parents love them and are committed to them.
This is a question that I love to answer because I feel really passionate about it. I come from a background of having done children's therapy for over 10 years, and I specializing in parenting work. All of that work led me through many, many families who were going through divorce and unfortunately had, just because of the way that divorce typically goes, had a really difficult time of it. It created a lot of damage, a lot of hostility and conflict for all the members of the family that was really damaging long term, and it just didn't have to be.
The thing that I love about Collaborative divorce is that you literally have a mental health professional walking you through a parenting plan, walking you through how to handle these conversations with your kids, and helping you when things come up you're not sure a handle. When you have questions about your kids are acting out at school and they're not sleeping well at night. Could it have to do with the divorce?
In addition to that, building out a parenting plan with the guidance of a mental health professional who has specialized in parenting work and children's emotional development, is honestly priceless. I cannot recommend highly enough having a parenting specialist walk you through the parenting planning process. When you do it that way, you get to work together with your spouse and so you know that you're both going to be happy with it.
What we see for kids on the other side of this:
they come out on the other side of divorce, well adjusted
They're more confident, safer
They have better relationships with both of their parents, they feel safe.
They're not as anxious
They know that they can continue to have a wonderful life with two parents who love them very, very much and who can work together to parent them for the rest of … well… forever.
