Children see things differently.
All children involved in marriage breakdown go through:
- feelings of bewilderment to the point of loneliness;
- anxiety;
- sadness;
- and anger.
Often they protect their own parents by not expressing these feelings to them. Parents often underestimate what their children are going through.
Most children fear that they have done something to cause the difficulties between their parents. They live with that fear unless they are told otherwise.
Although you and your spouse will no longer be living together, remember that you will need to rely on each other as parents in the future. The wellbeing of your child depends on that.
The first responsibility of any parent is to support each child involved by:
- Minimising the conflict around that child
- Supporting the relationship with the other parent
- Spending time to understand that needs of your child, and
- Being prepared to get outside help for you and your child.