Divorce can be pretty hard for your kids to process. This can cause them to become rather distant and reserved. Emotionally distant children can be hard to deal with as a parent. Therefore, it’s helpful to know what to look for, and how you can help your kids…
Emotionally Distant Children
Spot the signs
The changes which result in emotionally distant children tend to happen pretty quickly. That’s why you’ll want to know what signs to look for. Usually, the most obvious indicators are in their behavior. For instance, your kids might not want to spend time with you and avoid being around you. It could even get to the point where they don’t talk to you!
There’s a few reasons why they may become so distant. It could be that they were too involved in the divorce process. Another reason is possibly due to them struggling to process what’s happened. Still, it’s important you don’t get discouraged. Just because your kids have started to become distant doesn’t mean it’s a permanent change.
Be there for them
A good way to help emotionally distant children is by making sure they know you care for them. When they start to act distant towards you, the last thing you want to do is get frustrated at them. This will only worsen the situation. Instead, you need to show them some extra support so they know you care for them.
There’s a lot of ways you can show them this support. One good way is through positive reinforcement. Hearing that you love them and will always be there for them can help your kids understand things will be okay. This can help them feel better and start to warm back up to you.
Don’t use it for fights
One thing to avoid is using emotionally distant children as a reason to fight with your ex. Often times, kids tend to be distant to both parents. As a result, it’s not right to try and blame them for what’s going on. Plus, it’ll just put strain on your co-parenting plans.
Instead, it’s better to try and work with your ex to help your kids out. Avoid talking negatively about each other to the kids, or trying to “one-up” the other with gifts. Your kids will need the support from the both of you now more than ever.