Feeling emotionally vulnerable when going through or after a divorce is common. Many Arkansas residents may worry about future relationships with romantic partners, but more presently, they often worry about how the child custody arrangement will affect their relationship with their kids. Though it can certainly prove stressful to navigate the new arrangements and get used to not seeing the children all the time, parents can do their best to maintain the bonds they have with their kids.
This time of transition can be immensely upsetting for the children. They may not fully understand why things have to change and why they are not seeing their parents together as much. During this time, the children may need more attention and reassurance from both of their parents, and providing this reassurance can help maintain the child-parent relationship. This reassurance can involve telling the children that both parents still love them and are there for them.
While it is important to ensure that the children are handling the situation well from an emotional standpoint, it is also critical that parents do the same for themselves. Parents who are feeling emotionally overwhelmed or are trying to ignore challenging feelings they are experiencing during or after the divorce may not be able to offer the emotional support that their kids need. In some cases, it may be helpful to let the kids know that everyone feels sad, angry and upset sometimes but that such emotions can be handled effectively.
Parental bonds are important to children, and child custody arrangements do not have to make it seem as if those bonds will never be the same. It may take a bit more effort to ensure that the children feel loved and connected to their parents, but it is not an impossible situation. If Arkansas parents have concerns about their custody terms, they may want to explore their legal options.