Divorce and it's Psychological Effects on Kids

Greetings to you dear friends. Marriage is an institution ordained by God. It is a union between a man and a woman. It is often said that; "he who finds a wife, has found a good thing", and also "he who marries a good wife, shall have his lifespan prolonged". I think this is vice versa.
Before marriage, there is a period known as courtship. This period ranges from just few weeks to months or even years. During this period, both the man and woman get to know each other better, know the likes and dislikes of each other as well as their various families and traditions.

Most of the time, intending couples will be all over themselves and you'll be wishing they were married already cos they will be all lovey-dovey. But what happens after the knot has been tied? What happens to all those loving and caring moments? What happen to all the promises made? What really went wrong?

The rate of divorces is alarming and this is impacting negatively on the psychological health of kids. The family is the smallest unit of the society. What then happens when the family is sick? What becomes of the society?

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Divorce

Divorce according to Oxford dictionary, is the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body. Divorce can be very difficult as it comes with a lot of emotional and psychological trauma on either the man or woman or the kids.

The divorce process involves filing for a divorce, serving of divorce papers to the other partner, responding to the filed divorce by the respondent, negotiating a settlement by both parties and finalizing the divorce by the court.

Effect of Divorce on Kids Mental Health

Divorce can have adverse effects on a child's mental health. These can either be short-term or long-term term effects.

Short-term Effects

1. Behavioral changes: Research has shown that majority of children who come from broken homes tend to be hot-tempered and aggressive while some looked withdrawn. They grew up in a violent environment, they've seen a lot of abuses so to them, they feel it's normal to act in such a manner. They have been deprived from that motherly and fatherly love they deserve.
2. Emotional distress: Children from broken homes often feel sad, become depressed, full of guilt or anger and anxiety.

3. Decreased academic performance: Children from broken homes tend to have a drop in their academic performance. This could be a result of the trauma they are passing through. Some kids faces stigmatization because their parents are divorced.

Long-term Effects

1. Increased risk of mental health issues: This is as a result of prolonged depression and anxiety. Some kids may result to substance abuse and engage in other forms of activities which places them at a higher risk of developing mental issues.
2. Attachmemt issues: Kids who have withdrawal syndrome tend to struggle in forming a healthy relationship and keeping healthy attachment with others even when they grow up to the age of being sexually active.
3. Low self-esteem: Kids from broken homes often have low self-esteem as a result of the stigmatization they face. Often times, they speak negative of themselves.

As parents, I would like to advice you to think twice before putting your kids in this type of situation. They didn't bring themselves into this world. It is your sole responsibility to guide and protect them, give them all the basic needs, ensure you maintain open communication with your kids, provide them will the emotional support they need and ensure you seek the help of a therapist or counselor if need be.

DIVORCE shouldn't be an option. The mental health of your kids should be guarded at all cost.