What Divorce Parenting Practices is Best Appropriate for Preschoolers?

How do you spare your preschoolers for the negative effects of
divorce? How do you promote your preschooler’s healthy growth
and development? The answer is appropriate divorce parenting
practices.

The next question is what appropriate divorce parenting
practices for preschooler really means? Let’s keep things
simple. All you need to know is learn how divorce affect your
children. Knowing how preschoolers react to divorce will bring
you to a better position of knowing the best appropriate divorce
parenting practices you can give for your child.

So let’s get started. How is preschoolers affected by divorce?
Preschoolers commonly experience regression during parents’
divorce. Children whose parents are in conflict regress to
thumb-sucking, bed-wetting and other behaviors their parents
assume they’ve outgrown.

Children at this developmental stage may think they are
responsible for their parents’ divorce or for their parents not
living together. As a corollary to the perception that their
misbehavior caused the divorce or caused a separation, preschool
children often believe that if they are really good, everything
will be okay again. This can be an incredibly stressful
perception for a little kid, because he or she begins to carry
on his or her shoulders the burden of getting mom and dad back
together again.

Preschoolers may be confused, have fantasizes about
reconciliation, and show difficulties in expressing their
feelings. Their sense of security is affected by predictable and
consistent routines.

Preschoolers may fear being left alone or abandoned altogether
and may worry about the changes in their daily lives. They may
deny that anything has changed, or they may become
uncooperative, depressed, or angry. Although they want the
security of being near an adult, they may act disobedient and
aggressive.

Preschoolers exhibit signs of sadness and grieving because of
the absence of one parent. Preschoolers may be aggressive and
angry toward the parent they blame.

Now that you know how preschoolers react to divorce, I’m sure a
lot of ideas come to your mind on what divorce parenting
practices is best appropriate for preschoolers. To add up to
your list of ideas, here below are some of the things you should
do to help your preschoolers adjust to divorce.

Repeatedly tell children that they are not responsible for the
divorce. Children need to be reassured that the breakup wasn’t
their fault.

Discourage reconciliation fantasies. Avoid dinners, outings,
or holiday celebrations with your ex-spouse; they only fuel your
child’s fantasies. Instead, emphasize the finality of divorce

Keep daily routines intact. Children feel more secure when
there is a standard routine. Stick with bedtimes, no matter at
which home the children are. Have some consistent chores. Have
some time committed to the child, which is treated as sacred.

Reassure children that everything will be ok, just different.
Children are invariably frightened and confused by divorce. It’s
a threat to their security. Provide extra hugs and kisses and
tell your child that you and other adults will always be near to
love and protect

Explain what is happening over and over again. Children this
age are confused easily. In simple terms, explain where your
child will live, with whom, where the departing parent will
live, and who will provide care when both parents are
unavailable.

Encourage your child to talk about how he/she feels. Be
sensitive to children’s fears. Let your child know that he or
she can openly talk to you about the ups and downs of your
separation or divorce.

Encourage the child to carry photographs and other keepsakes
of the custodial parent when he or she leaves home to visit with
the non-custodial parent. Conversely, encourage the child to
keep a photograph of his or her non-custodial parent in a
visible place at home.

Be sensitive to children signs of depression and fear. Seek
professional help if depression is prolonged or intense.

Help non-custodial parent stay involve. Let non-custodial
parent maintain a regular presence such as a phone call several
times each week, messages sent on video or audiotapes.

Plan a schedule of time for children to spend with their other
parent. Be supportive of children’s ongoing relationship with
the other parent. Remember that children generally fare best
when they have the emotional support and ongoing involvement of
both parents. If you have difficulty relating to your former
spouse then get your free copy of my ebook “8 Essential Steps to
Cooperative Parenting and Divorce.” Just visit my website and
get the said ebook for free.

You can learn more divorce parenting practices appropriate for
children of any age in my ebook “101 Ways To Raise ‘Divorced’
Children to Successfully.” This ebook is a divorce parenting
guide that offers many proven ways that will not only help you
help your children but will also guide you on how to deal with
yourself and your former ex-spouse for your children’s sake.
Thus, giving you complete information on how to raise healthy,
happy and successful children even if you’re divorced. For more
information, please visit my website.

With the above information, I hope you will become an empowered
divorced parent and believe that you can raise healthy, happy
and successful children even if you’re divorce.

Copyright by Ruben Francia. All Rights Reserved.

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