Children rely on their parents for so much until they turn 18 and become legally responsible for themselves. The divorce of their parents can leave kids wondering if they can still rely on the same support as before.
Kids may have the notion that they somehow caused the divorce through something they did. They may feel one or both parents could hold that against them. They might also fear parental rejection if they see one of their parents drop the other for a new partner. They might fear their parent could just as easily stop loving them or replace them with another child.
Mediating a divorce sends a clear signal to your children that you can still work together
Using mediation to settle custody shows a child their parents can still pull together when it comes to things concerning them. It can instill confidence in the child that their parents will still work together to bring them up, even if they no longer live in one household. And it shows that things are not so bad that one parent is likely to take off to the other side of the country just to escape the other.
By not taking each other to court and dredging up the past, parents reduce the chance of lingering animosity. They make it more likely that a child realizes their parents can still talk to each other about them and they can still talk to both parents and spend time with them without upsetting the other.
There is help available to learn more about how mediation works and the measures you can take to ease future co-parenting to the benefit of you and your children.
