Divorce is a tough period in the life of divorcees, but it is even more challenging for children of divorcees. No matter what age they are, their parents getting separated and the soon-following drastic changes in their lives will have a strong effect on children, their emotional and physical well-being, and family relationships. So, no matter how much you are busy gathering documents for divorce, meeting with lawyers, and arranging important things, you need to find time for your kids. There are plenty of ways to help your children to go through your divorce with the best possible outcomes. Watching a divorce-related movie is a good opportunity to spend quality time together and approach a touchy topic without much pressure.
Children and Divorce
Children relive divorce in different ways; some cry, some are angry, others seem not to bother at all, many kids blame themselves for their parents getting separated. Anyway, you have to be prepared for any conditions and reactions and be there for your children to go through your divorce and adapt to life changes with the least harm and problems. Here are some points for you to consider:
- Different reactions at a different age – it is vital to realize that children of different ages do not treat divorce issues similarly. Smaller ones can even not understand and notice what is going around them. But can suffer seriously later when the realization comes to them. School kids tend to be very emotional about parents getting divorced, get offended quickly, and often take the blame on themselves for their parent’s separation. Teenagers will react brightly. It can be anger, despair, depression, and other strong feelings and reactions, you will have to cope with.
- No emotions can be worse – most kids openly show their disapproval or disappointment as to their parents’ divorce. But some seem to manage life challenges calmly. Still, the latter children may only appear to take the news and changes with no care, having a hurricane of emotions deep inside that will go wild one day, and the consequence will be far from pleasant.
- Support is necessary – due to all the issues and concerns children will face during the divorce, it is significant to provide them with extra attention and support. Hug them more often, ask about their day and issues in general, spend quality time together, talk about their feelings and concerns. Be there for your kids as much as they need.
- Extra challenges to be eliminated – don’t create extra problems for your kids with your own hands. No matter how difficult it is for you to get through the divorce, you have no rights to burden your kids with adult issues even if the children are grown-up enough and eager to support you. Get professionals to assist you better.
Even though divorce concerns parents, kids are more than involved in all the processes and changes it causes. So, it is important to care about your kids during divorce and find the best suitable way to help you face everything with fewer hurdles.
How Movies Can Help
Movies about divorce are not there to bring your kids extra worries and stress but to act as a therapy to help them through the divorce. Here are some perks of watching movies about the divorce together with your children:
- Quality time together – it is important to spend even more time with your kids during the divorce. Watching a relevant film will be quality leisure with no pressure or extra effort demanded.
- The topic for discussion – watching a film about divorce can give a relevant topic for discussion that can later get connected with your family situation.
- Positive example – with a successful divorce depicted in the film, your kids can witness that parental separation can pass in a peaceful way, and life will happily go on afterward. This way, they will manage to accept your current family issues with less harm and stress.
- The reason to open up – movie characters can inspire your children to open up and share their feelings and concerns about divorce.
Once you decide to watch a film about divorce with your children, take your time to pick out age-appropriate content and read about the main message to please your needs and expectations.
Top Divorce-Themed Movies
Selecting the right film is a crucial point. If you watch the wrong one, kids can only get more disappointed and desperate about your family issues. Here are some worthy options to consider:
- Mrs. Doubtfire – a famous divorce film with Robin Williams starring in the role of the father in divorce who dresses up as a woman to see his kids more often. It is both a funny and sensitive picture to watch with kids of all ages.
- Night at the Museum – Ben Stiller, in the role of a divorced father, gets a job at the museum as a nightguard to impress his son. The whole thing turns into an extraordinary adventure with an educational twist for school kids.
- The Parent Trap – there are two versions of the film with the difference in over thirty years between release dates. It shows how kids of divorce feel and what bothers them so that you will have plenty of things to discuss and compare to afterward.
There are many more movies to watch and reflect on later, which will help your children to understand divorce better and notice positive outcomes of your family situation. Find time for your kids, have qualitative leisure together, and advance from divorce-themed films to sort out your family issues in a harm-free way.
