Your marriage is over and you are either in the midst of a divorce or trying to move forward with your life. The last thing you want is for your children to bear the brunt of your inability to get along with your spouse, but it’s often unavoidable, no matter how hard you try. They have suffered a big loss, too, and it can be difficult to adjust. Here are some telltale signs that they are struggling with the changes in their lives.
Disorganization or Distraction
Though lack of focus is fairly typical for minors, it is often worse when they are struggling to make sense of an uncertain or different situation. Have you noticed that your child is continually misplacing or losing things? Have they lost interest in something that has been a passion for a long time? Are they dropping out of extra-curricular activities or simply not getting their schoolwork done?
It can be difficult to discern whether your child’s inattentiveness is just a phase or a cry for help. If your child was typically fairly organized, or the behaviors represent a major and continuing shift, you may want to initiate a conversation with them, or even help them get some counseling (children can often find it difficult to discuss family issues with family members).
Acting Out, Destructive Behavior, Withdrawal
When kids don’t know how to talk about their feelings, they may use other types of behavior to express their powerlessness or frustration. It can take the form of random or persistent destructiveness—vandalism, cruelty toward pets or other animals, breaking of toys. It can also manifest in classic passive-aggressive behavior, where your child typically refuses to do what you ask them to do. This typically results from a feeling of frustration or powerlessness. Your child may believe that the only power he or she has is to not do what is asked of them.
Extreme Neediness
The other classic symptom of the inability to adjust is extreme neediness, which can often be characterized by an overzealous effort to make you happy. Your child may worry that he or she is still loved, and may engage in behaviors calculated to earn your love.
Contact Morgenstern & Rochester
At Morgenstern & Rochester, our two partners have almost 50 years of combined family law experience. We are a boutique family law firm that takes a hands-on approach. When you hire us, you will always work directly with one of our partners, never with an inexperienced associate or a paralegal.
To arrange a confidential meeting with an experienced Cherry Hill family law attorney, contact us online or call our office at 856-489-6200.