Divorce is a difficult time for the entire family. As a parent in New Jersey, during and after your divorce, you might notice that the shift in the family dynamic has an emotional impact on your children.
Fear and guilt
Depending on your child’s age, they might experience feelings of fear and guilt. Younger kids often feel scared after a divorce and might express worry that either mommy or daddy no longer loves them.
Guilt is often a common psychological effect experienced by older kids. They might think they did something to cause the divorce and blame themselves. This could be especially relevant if your child has a history of misbehaving or acting out. This emotion often leads to stress and depression.
Anger, resentment and destructive behavior
Many teens experience anger after a divorce. They might blame one parent or both for the family breaking up. Often, their resentment manifests in destructive ways. They might cut school, start smoking or turn to alcohol or drugs. Some teens rebel even further and might start hanging out with the wrong crowd and turn to crime.
Poor school performance
One of the most common psychological effects of divorce on children shows in their school performance. Kids may start to neglect their studies and do poorly in class. However, even if they still study and try to complete their schoolwork, they might begin to show declining grades because they have trouble focusing. Kids of divorce are often overly distracted by the change in their family dynamic.
Loss of interest in social activities
Kids often lose interest in social activities when having an inner battle over their parents’ divorce. They might stop spending time with friends for a while until they are able to cope with the change.
Although kids often experience a variety of these psychological effects after a divorce, they are resilient and can bounce back in time.
