If you’re having trouble with your relationship, it can be difficult to make sure that it doesn’t start to impact your children. From arguments to confrontations and potentially even the end of a marriage, it can all have an impact on the kids. So, the question is, how do you make sure that you protect your children from this? How do you guarantee that issues in your relationship don’t start to trickle into their life? This is even important when kids are young because they do pick things up and start to notice things like this at a very early age.
No Raised Voices
This is the first thing you need to be aware of. It’s somewhat easier to avoid arguing in front of your child because you might notice if they are in the room. You can probably also control yourself. But raised voices are different because a kid doesn’t have to be in the room to hear from you. They could be in their room, yet listening to their parent’s fight. This can be very traumatic and quite a harrowing experience. They might even find it frightening. As such, you should work to make sure that you never raise your voice in your house at your children or your partner. You may want to consider attending couples therapy if you have an issue here. There really is no need to raise your voice, even when you’re trying to get your point across.
No Open Arguments
Similarly, there should be no open arguments between you and your partner. This could be at the dinner table, while watching TV or in the car. It’s particularly traumatic for kids if they are in a situation where they can’t escape like a car journey. If you absolutely must argue, make sure that you do this when your kids are not around. That way, you can avoid them questioning why you are so anxious, stressed and upset. Remember, this will also impact their emotions and almost always cause them to feel as though they might be somehow responsible.
No Excuses
You hope you can fix issues in your relationship but if you can’t, it’s not always a good idea to stay together for the kids. Particularly, if the problems are severe enough that they are beginning to impact their life as well as your own. You might need to speak to a divorce attorney. They can advise you on how to proceed here and ensure that the issue is handled while putting the needs of your children first.
No Using Your Child As A Weapon
Finally, make sure that you never use your child to hurt your partner emotionally. This is quite common as a relationship ends because you want to find a way to get even with someone who has hurt you. Ultimately though, the only person you end up hurting is your child.
We hope you find this advice useful and see now why it is so important to protect your child from issues that could be present in your relationship.