Teens and Divorce

It is clear that during the process the combination of teens and divorce causes many ups and downs. However, teens can cope successfully with their parents's divorce and the changes the divorce brings. In this article and in the article Teens & Divorce Tips you will discover that there are some unexpected positives.

It is a fact that many teens after the divorce find that their parents are actually happier and this makes that they may develop new and better ways of relating to both parents when they have separate time with each one.

Divorce can contribute to the learning of compassion of teens and the caring for younger brothers or sisters in need for support and tenderness. Teens and siblings who are closer in age may form tighter bonds, counting on each other, because they're facing the challenges of their parents' divorce together.

For teens their coping well with divorce also can bring out strength and maturity. Teens often become more responsible, better problem solvers, better listeners, or even better friends. Teens and divorce is known to have brought learning coping skills and even feeling stronger and more resilient as a result of what the teens went through.

These are positive outcomes which we can be happy for, but of course, no divorse at all is always better for teens.

Movies have been made about divorce and stepfamilies with happy endings, and some not. Most teens who go through a divorce learn that they can make it through this difficult situation successfully. Here some tips for the parents to deal with teens and divorce that could make the difference:

Be fair

One of the remarks most heard by teens in a divorce is that teens say it's important that parents don't try to get them to &ldquot;take sides.&lrquot; Teens need to feel free to relate to one parent without the other parent acting jealous, hurt, or mad or that relating to one parent is being seen as being disloyal to the other parent. This behaviour would put the burden of one parent's happiness on the teen's shoulders. That is not fair to the teens.

Peace at all times

For teens, dealing with divorce is easiest when parents get along well enough. Teens find it especially hard when their parents fight and argue or act with bitterness.

Teens can ask the parents to call a truce to any bickering or unkind things they might be saying about each other. Parents need to handle visiting arrangements peacefully to minimize the stress. When parents find it hard to let go of bitterness or anger, or if they are depressed about the changes brought on by divorce, they can find help from a counselor or therapist.

This can help parents get past the pain divorce may have created, to find personal happiness, and to lift any burdens from their kids. Smaller children and teens can also benefit from seeing a family therapist or someone who specializes in helping them get through the stress of a family breakup.

Just as much can the teens do themselves in the situation of a divorce. See the continuation of this article on Teens divorce and Tips for some tips for the teens.

Children divorce

In extreme situations, minor children can divorce from their parents: children divorce.

Grounds: Abuse or neglect by the parents, abandonment, parental drug abuse, both of the parents being in prison and exploitation.