Co-parenting after divorce can be a challenge, but it is definitely doable if both parents are willing to put in the effort. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for making co-parenting work for your family. It is important to remember that every family is different, so you will need to find [...]
As the North Carolina Stay-At-Home Executive Order 121 enters its second week because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we’ve been asked by separated parents what to do about sharing time with their children when they’re not in the same home. Both the Wake County and the North Carolina statewide Stay-At-Home order specifically make the travel [...]
Divorce is a time often fraught with worry and uncertainty. Many people experience an onslaught of conflicting and overwhelming emotions. Those things are true for adults who have at least some understanding and often somewhat reasonable expectations about what to expect. For children who are facing the process of divorce, it can be a [...]
Guest Blog by Michelle Topal, MSW, LCSW The Impact on Children Separation and divorce is a difficult, painful process for everyone involved. It usually precipitates significant change and loss, and triggers in most people deep feelings of failure, lack of control, rejection and abandonment. Many things have been written about the impact the change to the [...]
Divorce is tough on both parents and children. For moms there's an awful experience of what we call "premature separation" from their children. Even after children turn 18 and head off to college, it's hard to adjust to having the children out of the house. It's really hard to have the children out of the [...]
Once you have decided what your conversations will look like, you can move on to the more substantive conversations. Will we separate and will it be a trial separation or a permanent separation? Typically one spouse has a greater desire to separate than the other. Raising the possibility of a separation can be a difficult [...]
When people research what it means to move toward separation and divorce, the first search topic is the law. Of course the Internet has vast amounts of information on North Carolina divorce laws. However, the laws that govern equitable distribution of marital property, alimony, and child custody are broad outlines of what a court [...]
Tyler's father moved out of the house three months ago. Tyler's parents were getting divorced. When his father asked Tyler how he was doing with everything that was happening, Tyler smiled and said: "It's fine, don't worry." But things were not fine. He and his older brother did not tell their parents how they really [...]
Though you once played on the same team, divorce has you feeling like you're playing on opposite sides of the court. But in the game of divorce, keeping score and blocking shots means no one wins. It's not uncommon to view divorce as a contest, like a basketball game, where one side must win and [...]
Some children will simply have a more intense reaction to their parents divorce than others. Neuroscientists have found that certain children are markedly more affected by experiencing new things, things as basic as being in a new place and as complex as loss or trauma. However, these same children also have the greatest potential to [...]
The holiday season can be difficult and stressful for recently divorced families and those going through divorce. During this treasured time of year, cherished family traditions may be altered or lost. Negotiating parenting time can become increasingly stressful for parents over holiday breaks due to pressure from extended family that is not normally felt during [...]
In healthy families following divorce, parents focus on meeting the needs of the children, both physically and emotionally. Children are not there to meet the needs of their parents. The following list includes seven common behaviors of post-divorce families with healthy children. What's the first clue? Parents are parenting and children are allowed to be [...]
Divorce ends the marriage relationship that you had, but if you are a parent, you and your children are still a family. The family takes on a new form. It requires attention to become healthy and solid after divorce. Establishing or continuing a shared set of values for the new family can help to establish [...]
Whatever the specific reason for the breakup of your marriage, you are separating or divorcing because an intimate level of trust has been lost. With this loss of trust, hard feelings often arise. Even if you don't experience hard feelings, there is often a breakdown, or further erosion, of communication between you and your spouse. [...]
The first thing to know about telling your children that you are separating is that your children can travel successfully through this life transition. The more confidence you have, the more confidence they will have. It will probably be bewildering and upsetting for them, but there are ways you can help them with the transition. [...]