Boys frequently respond with aggression and noncompliance, adolescent girls may tend toward early sexuality. Other children show stress through depression, regression, or sleeplessness. Unfortunately, divorced parents may have less time to spend with their children, despite the fact that their children need them even more. Parents should take care to provide the attention children need by continued involvement of both parents, and by reaching out to other well-loved relatives and adults to provide care. Make sure that children and adolescents also have adequate after-school supervision, whether by a parent, a quality child care program, a neighbor, or friend.
Divorce is at least as hard on children as it is on parents.
Even children who don't show outward negative signs are likely to be stressed as they come to terms with family developments. Divorcing parents should give their children the best break possible by allowing them to keep up the ties of familiar faces and places by minimizing family moves at this time. Their friends and neighbors can provide them the support they need for the transitions ahead. Stepfamilies may want to take special note of this message as they determine where their new family will be housed. Unfortunately, dynamics between spouses at divorce time make some of these prescriptions a challenge to follow.