If you and your spouse decided to divorce, you may have concerns about what your life will look like moving forward. You may also worry about how your children will cope with this major change in their lives.
Although, according to the Institute for Family Studies, the divorce rate in the U.S. hit a 50-year low in 2019, many families with children still experience the effects of divorce every year. The following strategies can help your children get used to splitting their time between two households if you plan to coparent.
Create individual spaces for each child
If you have the space, give your children individual bedrooms in both houses. But if you do not have enough room for this, give each child a small space he or she can claim in either house to create a sense of ownership.
Maintain a consistent routine
Children thrive off of routine, so work with your ex to create and maintain that you stick to at both households. This routine should account for activities like discipline, bedtimes, homework, screen time, etc.
Stay in touch
Provide ways for your children to stay in touch with their other parent when they are at your house and vice versa. This may involve allowing your children to video chat with their other parent every night before bed or make a phone call every morning, for example.
It may take some time for your children to get used to splitting their time between two homes. Try and remain positive during the initial few weeks after you make this change to help your children adjust.
