As a marriage deteriorates, parents in Alaska might worry about how a divorce will impact their children. They might also wonder if there is an age where divorce affects children most and if they should wait until the children are older. The reality is that divorce affects children of all ages, even adult children.
The effects of divorce on children
The effects of divorce on children will vary depending on their age. These effects, by age bracket, include:
- Very young children under the age of 3 regressing in behavior, becoming more attached to the parent they live with, becoming more insecure in general and crying as they express missing their other parent
- Preschoolers feeling like the end of the marriage is their fault and that they have no control over life, becoming fearful, crying often and struggling to fall asleep
- School-age children feeling like they somehow caused the divorce, becoming anxious, isolated and even developing and struggling with depression and lashing out at others in anger
- Teenagers, while often more understanding, often worry about how the divorce might impact their lives, particularly their daily routines and relationships.
Each child might respond differently to divorce, even within one home, as each one will have different ways of facing the changes brought about by divorce and different coping skills. You can protect your children during this time by being supportive, attempting to keep your relationship with the other parent civil and amicable, if possible and providing them access to therapy to help them during this time.