Is Waiting Until Kids are Older a Reason to Put Off Divorce?

It’s not entirely uncommon for unhappy couples to “stay together for the kids,” believing it to be better for their children if they have two parents in the household. The reality, though, is that there is never an ideal time to get a divorce. In fact, remaining in an unhappy relationship could actually be more harmful to children than divorcing, as it will be more likely to expose the children to conflict or other negative side effects of a failing marriage.

This is true even if you have very young children Consider the following.

When you have infants

Divorcing when you have one or more infants can be very difficult because it is a time in which the child is first developing an attachment to the parents. Parents who get divorced during their children’s infancy will still need to work together closely to build a strong relationship with both parents.

When you have toddlers

Toddlers require a lot of consistency, both physically and emotionally. It is important for them to have frequent contact with each parent. Because toddlers still don’t have much of a grasp on language, you do not need to give thorough explanations of the divorce, but you do need to remain consistent.

When you have young children

Preschoolers and young school-aged children will still not have much of a concept of divorce, so they might at first feel abandoned or unloved. Children in this age range should be encouraged to ask questions about divorce, and you should answer honestly in a way they can understand with age-appropriate information. Regressed behaviors are likely to occur at this stage.

For more information about divorcing when you have very young children, contact an experienced Long Island divorce lawyer at Bryan L. Salamone & Associates.