In the midst of a California divorce, you may find yourself struggling to overcome your emotions and prioritize the things you need to get done. You may, too, find it difficult to manage the emotions of your child while you are dealing with so much already. However, if the relationship between you and your child’s other parent has soured to the point where it has become highly contentious, your child may suffer due to the conflict.
Per Psychology Today, it is not so much divorce, itself, that may impact your child emotionally, but rather, how much conflict exists between you and the other parent during the divorce.
Ways parental conflict impacts kids
When a child’s parents have high levels of animosity between them, it may have negative impacts on the child’s mental health. It may, too, make it harder for your child to adjust to school or find successful future relationships. Self-esteem and self-concept may also suffer when the relationship between you and your child’s other parent is highly contentious.
Ways to reduce conflict between parents
Having a parenting plan that outlines each parent’s responsibilities and the ways you agree to make decisions on your child’s behalf may go a long way in preventing conflicts between you and your child’s other parent. Setting ground rules about how and when your son or daughter communicates with one parent while in the other parent’s home may also help prevent disagreements.
You and your child’s other parent may also want to come up with a plan for how you plan to handle future conflicts before they arise to reduce any stress or strain felt by your child.