Parenting After Divorce Archives - Page 12 of 22

Alone For the Holidays: Support For Divo...

By Rosalind Sedacca, CDC One of the saddest consequences of divorce for parents is the alone-time when your children are visiting their other parent. While short-term periods when the kids are away can be a welcome respite for an overscheduled single parent, for other parents the intervals between seeing the children can be long and lonely. The holiday season can be a particularly challenging time, especially when friends and neighbors are busy with their own family gatherings. It’s really important for parents who are alone during the winter holidays to get creative and absorbed in activities that you find personally fulfilling. This can also be an opportunity to reflect on meeting your own needs and finding friends and activities that bring joy into your life. Among the greatest challenges for divorced parents is avoiding self-pity. Overwhelmed by a sense of isolation, or feeling undervalued as a parent, can often result

Parenting After Divorce

Parents: Preserving Family Photos Essential For Children of Divorce

By Rosalind Sedacca, CDC I read a poignant comment on a blog recently, written by a married mother of three. She was a child of divorce whose father moved out of the home when she was four. She talks about having very few pictures of herself as a child and only one of her mother and father together. Her grandfather found and gave her the photo just a few years ago. She framed it and has proudly displayed it in her home for her own children to see. She talks about how special that one photo of her with Mom and Dad is to her. It shows a little girl sitting happily on a lawn with her “real” family – before the divorce. This woman grieves that she has no other photographs of her father and so few pictures of her childhood. She assumes that her mother hid or destroyed

Parenting After Divorce

Children of Divorce Deserve Special Holiday Attention

By Rosalind Sedacca, CDC We all know the holiday season is fraught with stress, overwhelm and pressure for parents. But we are not alone. For children facing their parents’ divorce or who are experiencing their first holiday season post-divorce, this can be an especially tough time of year. So I reach out to all parents, and extended family members, who want to protect children caught in the consequences of a divorce, to be especially mindful and compassionate during the weeks ahead. It doesn’t take much to give a child or a teen a joyous occasion spending time with you. You don’t need expensive gifts or trips to exotic places. Doing things together are what count most. Sledding, ice skating, baking, creating crafts, watching a movie, visiting a children’s museum, taking a short railroad trip, building a snowman, making a family video, adopting a pet from a local shelter, volunteering to

Parenting After Divorce

Child Centered Parenting in a Blended Family – Hers, Mine and the Exes

My soon-to-be second wife and I are raising four children. With our wedding date quickly approaching, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to have a successful blended family, and how we deal with our exes for the good of our children. Out of the Mouths of Babes It’s 3:00 AM and I can’t sleep. I keep hearing the voices of our kids, over and over in my head. “Mommy is going to be mad if we stay up late.” “My dad lets me watch that show.” “She’s not our sister!” “I don’t want to come to the wedding.” That last one stings. We have four parents in this equation. All with different views on what’s best for our children. It can be stressful. It can be annoying. Ultimately our success is not judged by our personal comfort, but by the experience of our children. Here are some

Parenting After Divorce

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By Rosalind Sedacca, CDC While moving through divorce can seem like an insurmountable obstacle, for many parents it is just the beginning of a new and equally intimidating challenge: co-parenting your children. Hats off to all of you who have chosen to remain in your children’s lives as co-parents. It means both of you care deeply about your children and want to continue raising them in the least-disruptive possible manner. Of course not all parents can share the parenting process in this way and for some couples it is not realistic to even attempt it. But those divorced parents who choose to live relatively close to one another so as not to disturb the school, sports and other related schedules of their children, certainly deserve credit and acknowledgement. This is a complex topic that can’t be glossed over with a few simple how-tos. It is based on sincere levels of

Parenting After Divorce

7 Ways to Support the Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship After Divorce!

By Rosalind Sedacca, CDC When divorce takes place, everyone in the family is affected. Often the impact on grandparents is overlooked amidst the turmoil involving parents and children. But the affect can be devastating for grandparents who want to help and also stay in the lives of the children they love. Grandparents frequently ask me, “How do I help and stay close to my grandkids when we are geographically separated?” Even more challenging, how do you cope as grandparents when the consequences of divorce limits or ends physical visits with the grandkids? You do that by maintaining and strengthening the relationship you already have using the technology available and your best communication skills with your grown child’s former spouse. When possible, ask permission to continue the relationship with the kids when they are with the “Ex.” Let them know how much it means to you and how important it is for

Parenting After Divorce

6 Ways Pets Can Help Your Family Cope With Divorce!

By Rosalind Sedacca, CDC Pets can be a helpful resource for you and your children when handling the challenges of divorce. If your family has one or more pets, let your children have access to them as much as they desire. There is a great emotional benefit to kids dung times of insecurity -- and your children are fortunate that the pets they love can still be in their lives. If you don’t already have a pet, I recommend getting one – but only if you are in a position to be responsible to that innocent animal during this time of additional stress in your life. If a family pet is out of the question, please consider giving your children time to play with the pets of friends and family. Take them to petting zoos. Allow them contact with other living creatures, such as birds and squirrels in the park.

Parenting After Divorce

By Rosalind Sedacca, CDC Moving through a divorce can seem like an insurmountable obstacle. But for parents, it is just the beginning of an even greater challenge: co-parenting your children together. As founder of the Child-Centered Divorce Network I acknowledge all parents who have chosen to remain in your children’s lives as co-parents. You care deeply about your children and cooperative co-parenting is the way to raise them in the least-disruptive possible manner. The key word here is COOPERATION. Not all parents can share the parenting process in this way. For some couples, sadly, it should not even be attempted. Which is why those couples who are determined to co-parent – and choose to live relatively close to one another so as not to disturb the school, sports and other related schedules of their children – certainly deserve credit and acknowledgement. This is a complex topic that can’t be glossed

Child-Centered Divorce, Parenting After Divorce

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Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs During Divorce and Beyond

When parents are caught up in the drama of divorce it is easy for them to forget the innate emotional and security needs of their innocent children. The following are a list of questions and comments that remind parents about the most fundamental needs of every child in order to experience psychological wellbeing. They are provided by Dr. Paul Wanio, one of the contributors to my internationally acclaimed ebook, How Do I Tell the Kids about the Divorce? These concepts are particularly significant for your consideration when your family is experiencing the challenges and upheavals connected to divorce or separation. With this in mind, Dr. Wanio suggests you not only consider these questions, but actually take the time to answer them for yourself. 1) How can I help my child to develop a sense of security and trust in him/herself, in people, in the world, and in getting his/her needs

Parenting After Divorce

Parental Conflict After Divorce: Don’t Blame the Kids!

By Rosalind Sedacca, CDC Divorce conflicts between parents can get ugly. And too often parents tend to vent or share this anger about the other parent with one or more of their children. The results can be devastating – not only for the “target” parent, but for the children, as well. This is just one form of parental alienation which is a serious and very complex set of behaviors that feel justified by the alienating parent. The problem is that children get caught in the middle. Too often they are confused by being told disrespectful things about their other parent. These children easily learn to manipulate both parents in ways that are destructive for the child’s socialization and ultimate well-being. When any parental disagreements reach into your children’s lives, you are treading in dangerous territory with long-lasting consequences. How you handle the situation could play a crucial role in determining

Parenting After Divorce

Alone For the Holidays: Support For Divo...

Parents: Preserving Family Photos Essent...

Children of Divorce Deserve Special Holi...

Child Centered Parenting in a Blended Fa...

6 Proven Co-Parenting Strategies for Div...

7 Ways to Support the Grandparent-Grandc...

6 Ways Pets Can Help Your Family Cope Wi...

Co-Parenting After Divorce: How To Make ...

Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs

Parental Conflict After Divorce: Don’t B

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