Wednesday, May 18, 2005

What Divorce Parenting Practices is Best Appropriate for Toddlers? by Ruben Francia



Toddlers, toddlers, toddlers! Very young, seems don't understand what is happening yet their development may be affected by parental divorce. During the first three years of life, children grow quickly and become mobile, learn language, begin to understand how the world works, and form social relationship. With parental divorce, threat to child's full development will always be present.

But here is the good news. Did you know that you as parent possess all the power to help your children make a positive adjustment to family changes? All you need to know is learn how divorce affect your children and determine what divorce parenting practices is best appropriate for them. Knowing how toddlers react to divorce will bring you to a better position of knowing the best appropriate divorce parenting practices you can give for your child.

So let's start the ball rolling. How is toddlers affected by divorce? Toddlers are most concerned about how their own needs will be met. Toddlers may worry about who will fix their dinner or tuck them in bed, whether the parent they live with is also going to leave, and if their parents still love them.

Toddlers may recognize that one parent no longer live at home but still don't understand why. They may begin asking questions and ask the same question after some time, as they still don't understand the answers.

Toddlers become more aware of others' feelings and learn to express their own feelings with words and through play. They may become more aggressive or fearful when their parents divorce.

Toddlers find it hard to manage strong feelings like sadness or anger. They may miss the parent who is gone or be angry about not being able to be with a parent.

Toddlers' negative behavior and acting out may increase during the divorce process. They may exert their independence more frequently by saying "No" to adult requests.

If these are how toddlers react to divorce, what then is divorce parenting practices that is best appropriate for them? By knowing how toddler's react to divorce a lot of ideas will come up to your mind on what divorce parenting practices is best appropriate for your toddler. To add up to your list of ideas, here below are some divorce parenting practices that is best for your child.

Establishing a consistent, predictable, and routines. Having consistent is important for young children, because it helps them to feel secure. At times, some parenting issues require communication and coordination between parents, if the child spends time with both parents. Both parents don't have to do things exactly the same way, but it is easier for children if most things are similar at each home.

Reassure toddlers of your continued presence with physical affection and loving words. Infants and toddlers need to know that their parents still love them and that they will be taken care of.

Be caring and increase your child awareness. Understands their thoughts and feelings, and helps them express those thoughts and feelings makes a world of difference.

Be sensitive to children signs of depression and fear. Seek professional help if depression is prolonged or intense.

Be actively part of your child's life. Ongoing parental involvement fosters positive parent-child relationships and healthy emotional and social development.

Support your former spouse in making positive relation with your child. Children generally fare best when they have the emotional support and ongoing involvement of both parents. If you have difficulty relating to your former spouse then get your free copy of my ebook "8 Essential Steps to Cooperative Parenting and Divorce." Just visit my website and get the said ebook for free.

You can learn more divorce parenting practices appropriate for children of any age in my ebook "101 Ways To Raise 'Divorced' Children to Successfully." This ebook is a divorce parenting guide that offers many proven ways that will not only help you help your children but will also guide you on how to deal with yourself and your former ex-spouse for your children's sake. Thus, giving you complete information on how to raise a healthy, happy and successful children even if you're divorced. For more information, please visit my website.

With the above information, I hope you will become an empowered divorced parent and believe that you can raise healthy, happy and successful children even if you're divorce.

Copyright by Ruben Francia. All Rights Reserved.

Publishing Rights: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Minor edits and alterations are acceptable so long as they do not distort or change the content of the article.

About the Author
Ruben Francia is an author of an indispensable divorce parenting guide ebook, entitled "101 Ways To Raise Your 'Divorced' Children To Success". Get his other ebook for FREE, "8 Essential Steps to Cooperative Parenting and Divorce." Visit his web site at http://www.101divorceparenting.com

What Divorce Parenting Practices is Best Appropriate for an Infant? by Ruben Francia



Is there such thing as divorce parenting practices that is best appropriate for an infant? I tell you, yes there is. In fact, it's not only for infant. At every stage of children's development, whether infants, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary school age children or adolescents, there is such thing as appropriate divorce parenting practices.

But before we get into discussing serious matter, let me ask you a couple of questions? Is it important for parents to know the best appropriate divorce parenting practices? What benefits children or/and parents can get if there is, by employing the best appropriate divorce parenting practices? I will leave those questions hanging into your mind but please make your answers as vivid as possible such that you will no longer mind time and read the rest of this article.

Let's go back to business. First, you need to understand how infants react to divorce. Knowing how infants react to divorce will bring you to a better position of knowing the best appropriate divorce parenting practices you can do for your child.

So, how is infant affected by divorce? Infants do not understand divorce but they can pick up on changes in their parent's feelings and behavior. When a parent acts worried or sad around an infant, the infant is likely to feel worried or sad.

Infants cannot tell adults how they feel. Yes, they can pick up their parent's feelings but they still cannot tell us how they feel. As a result, infants may act more fussy and difficult to comfort, or seem uninterested in people or things when their parents are upset relative to divorce.

Infants of age 6 to 8 months develop stranger anxiety. They may act fearful or anxious around unfamiliar people. After divorce, an infant may see one parent less often than before, so the infant may show stranger anxiety around that parent.

Infants of age 8 to 12 months may begin to show separation distress. Infants may cry, scream or cling when a parent is leaving. It is hard for an infant to be separated from a parent, especially for a long period of time, such as overnight. When parents divorce, infants may experience more separations and feel less secure. You may notice an increase in your infant's separation distress during the divorce process.

Now that you know how infant react to divorce, I'm sure a lot of ideas comes to your mind on what divorce parenting practices is best appropriate for an infant. To add up to your list of ideas, here below are some of the things you should do to help your infant adjust to divorce. These are what I called the divorce parenting best appropriate for an infant.

Establishing a consistent, predictable, and routines. Having consistent is important for young children, because it helps them to feel secure. At times, some parenting issues require communication and coordination between parents, if the child spends time with both parents. Both parents don't have to do things exactly the same way, but it is easier for children if most things are similar at each home.

Separate your feelings about the other parent from your parenting role. This may be difficult but doing so will help your infant not to pick up distress feelings.

Interacting with the child in a location where the child feels secure and comfortable.

Keep children's favorite toys, blankets or stuffed animals close at hand.

Reassure infants of your continued presence with physical affection and loving words. Infants and toddlers need to know that their parents still love them and that they will be taken care of.

Be actively part of your child's life. Infants are likely to feel most comfortable around both parents if they have frequent contact with both parents following divorce.

Be caring and increase your child awareness. Understands their thoughts and feelings, and helps them express those thoughts and feelings makes a world of difference.

Communicate with other caregivers. Talk with other important adults and caregivers about how to support your child during this transition time. Be sure to keep them updated about family changes. They need to know what is going on in order to understand the child's behavior.

You can learn more divorce parenting practices appropriate for children of any age in my ebook "101 Ways To Raise 'Divorced' Children to Successfully." Likewise, if you have difficulty relating to your former spouse then get your free copy of my other ebook "8 Essential Steps To Cooperative Parenting and Divorce." For more information, please visit my website.

With the above information, I hope you will become an empowered divorced parent and believe that you can raise healthy, happy and successful children even if you're divorce.

Copyright by Ruben Francia. All Rights Reserved.

Publishing Rights: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Minor edits and alterations are acceptable so long as they do not distort or change the content of the article.

About the Author
Ruben Francia is an author of an indispensable divorce parenting guide ebook, entitled "101 Ways To Raise Your 'Divorced' Children To Success". Get his other ebook for FREE, "8 Essential Steps to Cooperative Parenting and Divorce." Visit his web site at http://www.101divorceparenting.com

Divorced Parent: Do You Alienate Your Child from the Other Parent? by Ruben Francia



I have seen some divorce parents consciously distance their children from the other parent? Such actions may only be justified when there is a genuine concern about the children's emotional or physical safety when with the other parent. But in the absence of past domestic violence, drug or alcohol abuse, physical, sexual, or emotional child abuse, alienating children from the other parent will never bring any good.

Other parents may subconsciously alienate children from the other parent. But whether there is a deliberate move or not to alienate children from the other parent, the same thing will happen. Children will always suffer. Remember children generally fare best when they have the emotional support and ongoing involvement of both parents and parental alienation must be put to an end.

The good news is we can prevent the devastating effects of parental alienation. The key is to begin recognizing the symptoms of parental alienation. After reading the list below, don't get discouraged when you notice that some of your own behaviors have been alienating. Instead, let the list help sensitize you to how you are behaving and what you are saying to your children.

1. Denying the existence of the other parent. This include actions like denying other parent photo's within children's room, avoiding conversations with other parent, ignoring the other parent in public and refusing visitation.

2. Criticizing the other parent. This include actions like speaking negatively about the other parent in front of the children, speaking negatively about the other parent's family and friends, and comparing your children to the other parent in a negative way.

3. Placing your children in the middle. This include actions like using them as a messenger, having them act as spies, discussing adult issues in front of or with your children and arguing in front of the children.

4. Setting up the other parent to fail. This include actions like failing to inform the other parent of important events, laughing at or making jokes about the other parent, encourage children to disobey other parent and blaming the divorce on the other parent.

5. Resisting or refusing to cooperate by not allowing the other parent access to school or medical records and schedules of extracurricular activities.

6. Telling the child "everything" about the marital relationship or reasons for the divorce is alienating. The parent usually argues that they are "just wanting to be honest" with their children. This practice is destructive and painful for the child. The alienating parent's motive is for the child to think less of the other parent.

7. Asking the child to choose one parent over another parent causes the child considerable distress. Typically, they do not want to reject a parent, but instead want to avoid the issue. The child, not the parent, should initiate any suggestion for change of residence.

8. Refusing to be flexible with the visitation schedule in order to respond to the child's needs.

9. A parent suggesting or reacting with hurt or sadness to their child having a good time with the other parent will cause the child to withdraw and not communicate. They will frequently feel guilty or conflicted not knowing that it's "okay" to have fun with their other parent.

10. When parents physically or psychologically rescue the children when there is no threat to their safety. This practice reinforces in the child's mind the illusion of threat or danger, thereby reinforcing alienation.

Now that you have read the above list, don't get discouraged when you notice that some of your own behaviors have been alienating. Just think and internalize that children generally fare best when they have the emotional support and ongoing involvement of both parents. Therefore, parental alienation must be put to end. Both parents have to work as co-parents.

If you are having difficulty parenting with your children's other parent then make your move now. Remedy your situation by getting a free copy of my ebook "8 Essential Steps To Cooperative Parenting and Divorce." Likewise, you can learn effective divorce parenting from my other ebook "101 Ways To Raise 'Divorced' Children to Successfully." For more information, please visit my website.

With the above information, I hope you will become an empowered divorced parent and believe that you can raise healthy, happy and successful children even if you're divorce.

Copyright by Ruben Francia. All Rights Reserved.

Publishing Rights: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Minor edits and alterations are acceptable so long as they do not distort or change the content of the article.

About the Author
Ruben Francia is an author of an indispensable divorce parenting guide ebook, entitled "101 Ways To Raise Your 'Divorced' Children To Success". Get his other ebook for FREE, "8 Essential Steps to Cooperative Parenting and Divorce." Visit his web site at http://www.101divorceparenting.com