By Jamie C. Williamson, PhD Divorce should not be entered into lightly, especially if you are a parent. Marriages may dissolve. But co-parenting is truly a “to death do us part” commitment, including all of the family life events in between. Parents must choose (and it is a choice) whether they will have a friendly divorce or an acrimonious one. The decision has a lasting impact on the parents, and especially their children. This obvious reality may come as a shock to even the best parents who are wrapped up in the early stages of divorce. Parents contemplating divorce or dealing with the emotional, psychological, and financial aspects of divorce often require a reminder that children need a safe, secure, and happy family environment to become well-adjusted emotionally and psychologically. Children need their parents to be partners, to like each other, and to be friends at best or, at least, to peacefully co-exist. And children need this, whether their parents stay married or not. Fortunately, co-parents are not hostages to their old emotions or patterns of interaction that lead to their divorce. They can build an entirely new relationship based on their mutual love for their children and their interest in building a stable future for them and for themselves. To do so, they must agree to be both physically and emotionally divorced so they can focus on the future, not the past. I call this approach a “friendly divorce.” The families of these friendly divorces continue to be...
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