Impact of Divorce on Children

Going through a divorce or separation is hard for everyone, but it can be extra hard on the kids. Divorce during the school year is tough on children. There are many things parents can do to help make the process easier. One way to help your child cope with divorce is to inform the school on what’s going on; here’s why:

3 Reasons it’s Important to Tell Your Child’s Teacher about Your Divorce

1. Who to Contact, School Pick-ups, and Emergencies

With divorce and family law, there are many variable outcomes and based on the individual outcome, decisions regarding communication need to be made. If you get the sole custody of your child, let the teacher and school know. If you have a protective order against the other parent, also let the teacher and school know. You may have to provide your divorce decree or other documents. This will ensure that all communication on your child’s progress is directed to you. And, in the case of a restraining order, this lets the school know that only you are allowed to pick up your child and to be contacted if the other parent shows up.

In case you have joint custody, let the teacher know that you and your ex-spouse both need to be informed on any issue concerning your child. The teacher should be made aware if both or only one of you should be listed as an emergency contact.

2. The School Can Offer Support to Create the Best Experience and Environment for Your Child to Succeed

Children experience many different feelings during and after a separation. They may feel confused about the divorce and some will even blame themselves for it. Some children withdraw or become aggressive as they deal with the different emotions. It is common for children to act out at home and in school. For that reason, it is important that your child’s teacher is informed of the divorce so that the school can be understanding of what the child is going through and deal with different situations effectively.

For instance, the school can offer counseling services to the child to help them cope with the transition. Some schools can assign a ‘big brother/sister’ who is a fellow schoolmate but in a higher class grade to walk with and monitor the child while in school. The big brother/sister will be a person whom the child will be accountable to and ideally, one that it confide in while the former will offer advice, give a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on while in school.

3. Routines and Consistency to Track Progress and Address Concerns Quickly

Teachers like to stay in touch with parents on their child’s progress and any issues that may arise. But when you inform the teacher about the family situation, you open the channel for more supervision and keenness on your child’s progress. Both you and the teacher can keep close track on your child’s extracurricular activities, homework, and class work progress. If the child changes its routines, you will know immediately and address the concerns promptly. If consistency concerning performance in school work and other activities is compromised, it ought to be called to attention and the child approached with loving care to resolve the matter.

For Divorce and Custody Questions, Our Experienced Salt Lake City, Utah Divorce Attorneys Can Help

Establishing strong and consistent communication with your child and with the school is the key to handling the child’s progress.  You need to monitor your child as they go through the transition from your divorce to the new life. If you need more information, kindly contact our professional family law attorneys in Salt Lake City, Utah at Wall & Wall Attorneys at Law for a free case evaluation. Our SLC divorce attorneys have over 190 years of combined legal experience helping families in Utah with divorce and family law issues. Schedule a free consultation by calling 801-948-2203 today.

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