Divorce can be hard on anyone. After all, if you are thinking about ending your marriage, you may have a variety of emotions, ranging from anger to depression. If you have children, though, you must realize that divorce can take a tremendous toll on their mental health.
While you cannot completely eliminate all the negative emotions your children may feel, you probably can make your divorce and custody matter easier to handle. That is, wrapping up your marriage and figuring out custody does not have to be an all-out battle. Here are some ways mediation may help your kids cope with divorce:
A non-adversarial process
In courtrooms across the country, spouses fight about both major and minor items. If you opt for mediation, though, you take advantage of a non-adversarial process. While both you and your soon-to-be-ex-spouse likely have legal counsel, you work together to find common ground. Naturally, this approach can foster less resentment and achieve better outcomes for your kids.
Common goals
Because mediation is a non-adversarial process, you and your partner work collaboratively to reach common goals. Unlike the rigid environment of a court proceeding, mediation allows you and your spouse to think outside the box. That is, you may come up with solutions that fit your family’s needs better than what a judge may consider.
Family unity
As it brings a tremendous amount of uncertainty to family life, divorce can be tough for children to process and manage. Put simply, anything you can do to provide stability is apt to benefit your kids. Because mediation facilitates cooperation while downplaying resentment, the young ones in your family may feel a sense of family unity, despite your marriage’s inevitable end.
Mediation is not always the right decision for individuals going through a divorce or custody dispute. Still, if there is even a remote possibility of reaching a successful outcome through mediation, its benefits for your children are likely to encourage you to consider mediating your dispute.