Divorce creates new challenges for parents, but there are many strategies that will help you both adjust to the challenge of single parenting.

For whatever reason you and your spouse divorced, there are bound to be concerns about the effect on your children. Whether they were clued in or were completely shocked by their parents’ divorce, every child is affected in his or her own way. There are many helpful strategies to minimize the damage of divorce on children and to maintain peace in the family and yes, it is still a family, even if the parents live apart.

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Divorce can be one of the most financially devastating events in life. The costs that accompany divorce include legal bills and the cost of an additional residence, and with around 45% of marriages ending in divorce, millions of Americans face the financial strains of divorce every year.

When a second marriage ends in divorce, money management strains can be even greater, because couples may have children together as well as children from previous unions, prenuptial agreements are more likely to be involved, and people in second marriages are often older, with more deeply ingrained financial tendencies.

Good money management after divorce should begin before papers are filed to minimize potential financial problems. If you are divorced or in the process of divorcing, smart money management requires considering your income, regular bills, short term goals, health and life insurance, retirement planning, and emergency funds.
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Child custody mediation provides parents with a valuable alternative to an adversarial divorce. Through the process of mediation, parents have the opportunity to work together and create a parenting plan that honors each parent’s unique contribution to their children’s upbringing. Consider the following benefits of child custody mediation:

1. Mediation is Non-Adversarial

Child custody mediation is a collaborative process with a common goal in mind: to do what is best for your children. Unlike the adversarial divorce process, mediation focuses on what is truly best for the children. Through this process, you will be able to establish a parenting plan that enables both parents to be actively involved in the children’s lives. The alternative is taking your ex-spouse to court and suing for custody of your children, which in many cases creates even more dissension and conflict.

2. Mediation is Easier on Your Children

A contested divorce is wrought with conflict, and we know this has a negative impact on children who are dealing with their parents’ divorce. Even when your intentions are good, realize that it’s your lawyer’s job to do everything in his or her power to fight for you and your interests. This creates a situation where the children are unavoidably – even if unintentionally – caught in the middle. Instead, mediation focuses on what’s best for the children and teaches you as parents how to separate your own interests from theirs.Read the full article by Jennifer Wolf >>

Co-parenting amicably with your ex can give your children stability and close relationships with both parents–but it’s rarely easy. Putting aside relationship issues to co-parent agreeably can be fraught with stress. Despite the many challenges, though, it is possible to develop a cordial working relationship with your ex for the sake of your children. With these tips, you can remain calm, stay consistent, and avoid or resolve conflict with your ex and make joint custody work.

Joint custody arrangements, especially after an acrimonious split, can be exhausting and infuriating. It can be extremely difficult to get past the painful history you may have with your ex and overcome any built-up resentment. Making shared decisions, interacting with each another at drop-offs, or just speaking to a person you’d rather forget all about can seem like impossible tasks. But while it’s true that co-parenting isn’t an easy solution, it is the best way to ensure your children’s needs are met and they are able to retain close relationships with both parents.

It may be helpful to start thinking of your relationship with your ex as a completely new one—one that is entirely about the well-being of your children, and not about either of you. Your marriage may be over, but your family is not; doing what is best for your kids is your most important priority. The first step to being a mature, responsible co-parent is to always put your children’s needs ahead of your own.

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