When you are a parent facing divorce, you have different challenges ahead than couples who divorce but have no children. Not only do you have to manage the plethora of emotions that you experience with your divorce, but you also have to be able to defuse your children’s often fluctuating emotions regarding the split.
But that is not the only hurdle that you must face. You also need to make a series of decisions about your financial future going forward. A misstep here can bring with it a host of problems that can dog your steps well into the foreseeable future.
Keep the following things in mind when approaching your divorce:
- Have an emergency fund on hand
Divorce can be an expensive undertaking, and that’s just to initiate and navigate the process. You also have to have the funds available to start a new life on only one income, as well as make sure that your children’s needs are provided for after the split.
- Seek counseling
Couples therapy can save some marriages, but if it’s a truly bad one, you might want to skip that step and enter therapy solely to work on your own issues. Your therapist is safe to vent your emotions in a way that family and friends can never be. If your children are experiencing depression or anger over the split, arrange for them to go to counseling too.
- Keep a positive outlook
This can be challenging during the throes of an acrimonious divorce. Yet, keeping your eye on the prize — your future happiness and freedom — can be just the impetus you need to keep on slogging through the process. Your own positive attitude can help your children to glimpse the silver lining as well.