Divorce will create difficulties for everyone involved, no matter how carefully parents attempt to handle the situation. Emotions run wild and the basis of everything a child knows could end up overturned.
However, parents can make certain choices that will benefit children more and make the situation bearable to certain degrees. Choosing joint custody could serve as one of these moves.
Soothing a child’s fears and concerns
The American Psychological Association discusses the impact of divorce on children. Of course, divorce of any sort will leave damage behind. Everything a child once knew ends up flipped on its head, and even an amiable separation cannot change this.
However, some of the biggest fears of a child stem from their fear of change and lack of stability. Thus, the more stability and familiarity parents can provide, the easier a child tends to cope with the split.
Preserving relationships and stability
Joint custody provides much more stability compared to sole custody because it keeps the family structure closest to the way the child knows it. They still have two parents to rely on, even if they cannot spend equal time with both and no longer share permanent housing with them.
This preserves the relationships between both parents and the child, too, which studies show has a profound positive impact. Children who lose one parent during divorce tend to have higher levels of anxiety and depression, along with trauma disorders.
In short, the preservation of such relationships serves as an important key in helping a child cope with the divorce itself. It also helps in the development of healthy coping mechanisms which can make a world of difference moving forward.
