Depending on the age of your children, they may have a basic idea of how the divorce process works and what it means to them. And even if they’re too young to realize exactly what’s happening, they’re still smart enough to know that they’re no longer living in the same house with both their parents.
It’s critical to take the right steps when explaining visitation to your children. You want them to be clear about what it is, as well as the benefits for everyone involved.
Here are some of the things you can do:
- Talk about the benefits to them: For example, explain how these visits give them more time with their other parent. And with permission from your ex, you can even go into details about all the fun things they’ll get to do.
- Explain how it works: Before your children leave you, let them know how long they’ll be gone and whether or not they’re staying overnight. You don’t want anything to catch them by surprise.
- Let them have a say: Even though you and your ex need to closely follow your parenting agreement and visitation schedule, it’s okay for your children to have a say in what happens. This is particularly true if they’re old enough to know what is happening. As long as both you and your ex are okay with the decisions being made, it should work out for the best. You want to settle on a visitation schedule and arrangement that makes everyone happy.
If you’re doing your best to make the most of visitation but your ex isn’t, talk to them about your concerns and learn more about the possibility of seeking a modification.