Quality Time With Your Children
This can be a challenge, given the long list of things you are most likely juggling at this stage, but it is important to put away your laptop, cell phone, or “to do” list…whatever is distracting you…and focus on spending quality time with your children.
Entering Each Other’s Homes
It is helpful to define how you want to handle entering each other’s homes…such as when your children need something from the home. If your children are young, then you may need to help them in collecting items…if the other parent is not home. Obviously, older children can go in and get what they need […]
Stop… Collect Yourself… Be Smart
There are many reasons that trigger a divorce and the reasons are often emotionally driven. So, you need to do all you can to…stop…collect yourself…be smart…and approach the process in a very conscious way…trying to take as much emotion out of the process as possible in order to achieve the outcome that you desire.
Mindset Is Essential
“Calm is your friend” when going through a divorce. The calmer (and more level headed) you can be when navigating the process, the better the outcome will be in the end.
Outline Parenting Plan Together
This outlines how you will jointly manage your children’s lives…which is helpful because it becomes the point of reference if there is ever a debate or disagreement relating to decisions you have made about your children during the divorce process.
Prepare For a Year of Firsts
The good news is that the “Year of Firsts” is only one year, but it is a year you should learn from…as it will help you define how you want to live your life in this next phase you are entering post-divorce.
Understand Your Finances
Try to understand your current financial picture well in advance of triggering the process. The financial game changes once you and your husband start down the path to divorce…and it is essential to clearly understand the picture before heading down this path.
Parenting Approach
There are a wide range of points to think through relating to your parenting approach. If you can define and align these points up front, it can help to maintain a consistent approach to parenting your children in both homes.
Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster
Everyone’s divorce hangover is different…some take longer than others to recover…and there is an emotional headache that you need to recover from…but you eventually will…and will move on with your life.
Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster
At times, you will need to put aside your emotions until you have worked through the details…or there may be times when you need to put away the details until you have worked through your emotions.