Divorce is a difficult experience for families to endure. For young children, living in two different households can become confusing and heighten their anxieties and fears about the future. However, if you and your former spouse create consistent rules and routines for them to follow, it can help them feel secure, reduce their anxiety, and give them a greater sense of safety.
Consistency Across Two Separate Households
Although it is unreasonable to expect you and your ex to maintain identical households, you should see eye to eye on fundamentals. For example, the children’s bedtime and morning routines should be reasonably similar. For older children, you should enforce the same curfew and penalties for failing to meet curfew. Doing so will not only help your children feel safe, but it will also reduce conflict between you and your former spouse. If one parent is seen as more lenient than the other, it can create resentment, especially if the children show a preference for the parent who does not enforce the rules.
Consistent rules and routines can also teach children healthier habits and boundaries. As they continue to grow, they will even learn how to self-discipline and manage their time. Ultimately, this will help them settle into their new living arrangements and cope with the transition.
Of course, creating these rules with your former spouse may be challenging, so we compiled some questions you should ask each other during this process:
- Are there any issues on which you are willing to be flexible?
- Are there any issues on which you wish to be steadfast?
- How will you reward your children’s good behavior?
- What are the consequences of bad behavior?
- How will you inform your children about the rules and routines they must follow?
You might run into some problems after establishing these rules and routines, so you should be open to revisiting this issue until you find an arrangement that works for you and your children.
Discuss the Details of Your Family Law Case with an Experienced Attorney Today!
Even after a divorce, you may still encounter issues with your former spouse, especially if you have children, and you may need the assistance of a skilled legal professional. At Smith Law Offices, LLC, our knowledgeable family law team is backed by more than three decades of combined legal experience and a history of successful results. We understand how delicate such issues are and will provide the care and attention you deserve.
Reach out to our law office today at (636) 400-1177 to set up an initial consultation with a compassionate member of our team and learn more about what we can do for you.