Parenting Etiquette
Parenting etiquette 101.
We have heard it all, the parent who is “crazy,” the parent who is fueled by “revenge,” and the parent who is simply beaten down by divorce.
It is over, but not for the kids
The love story ends and all that is left are the empty promises, unfulfilled responsibilities and a trunk full of betrayal.
Susceptible
No one wants to imagine that their happy marriage is over, or that resentment and betrayal have poisoned a once beautiful love story, but it happens. We cannot control or predict the trajectory of our marriage, but we could have some ground rules when things don’t work out. Divorce does not have to mean World War III. This is even more critical when children are involved.
Your parental responsibility
You have two primary responsibilities; one is for you, you cannot disintegrate or implode because of an impending divorce, secondly, you have a responsibility to your child or children. It is also critical to acknowledge that change is coming, with that in mind it is best to keep all other aspects of your child’s life, the same.
Keep things as “normal” as possible
If they have practice on MWF at 4:30 at the park, they go to practice. If they usually spend the night at a friends house on Friday nights, encourage them to continue this. The child needs consistency and predictability in what may feel a totally out of control situation (their parent’s separation/divorce). Read the rest of this entry »