The thought of potentially losing time with your children through a custody case can be heart-wrenching. But the uncertainty of it all can be even more difficult for your child to handle. And given their vulnerability, they may experience several negative effects when exposed to child custody-related conflict, including behavioral issues and the onset of anxiety and depression. If you want to protect your children as much as possible, then you need to be proactive in finding ways to distance them from the process and provide them with stability.
How can you protect your children during your custody case?
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to shield your children from the harmful effects of a contested custody case. These include the following:
- Avoiding using your children as a messenger to communicate with the other parent.
- Refraining from talking negatively about the other parent while your children are around.
- Encouraging your children to have open and honest conversations with you about their concerns.
- Working with the other parent to establish consistent rules between the two households that are evenly enforced.
- Identifying portions of your children’s routines that can be salvaged, thereby protecting some of their sense of normalcy.
- Reassuring your children that they aren’t to blame for the divorce and that you and the other parent love them.
There may be other steps that you can take to protect your children. Just try to view the situation from their perspective and consider what you can do to provide them with stability and reassurance.
Navigate your child custody dispute with confidence
Given the best interest standard applicable in a child custody determination, you have a lot to consider moving forward. If you need an advocate on your side, then you might want to discuss the unique circumstances of your case more in-depth with your attorney.