Impact of Divorce on Children- How can you mitigate the impact?

Have you ever wondered about the impact of divorce on children and how to mitigate the impact?

I recently read about the impact that the divorce of the late Princess Diana and Prince Charles had on Prince William and Prince Harry. In a recent documentary about Princess Diana, Prince William admitted that the siblings had longed to spend more time with both parents. They felt as if they were “bouncing between the two of them”.

Harry said: “There was the point where our parents split and… we never saw our mother enough or we never saw our father enough. There was a lot of travelling and a lot of fights on the back seat with my brother- which I would win.”

The former royal couple had separated in December 2012 after staying married for 11 years. Former Prime Minister John Major had made the separation announcement. Despite living apart (Princess Diana lived in Kensington Palace and Prince Charles lived between Highgrove and Clarence House), the couple were supposed to co-parent William and Harry.

See: Sarah Oliver, ‘We bounced between the two of them and never saw either enough’: Princes on the impact of their parents’ toxic marital breakdown and the picture of misery that confirmed to the Queen how bad things really were”, The Mail On Sunday, 23 July 2017

More than 7,500 divorces happen in Singapore every year. We can never underestimate the impact of divorce on children, especially if the children are close to both parents.

The way to mitigate the impact of divorce on children, in my opinion, is through greater harmony between parents. Parents should work together as far as possible.

Children should not be afraid of “losing daddy” or “losing mummy”. Let your children know that both parents will be there for them, even though you are divorced.

Impact of divorce on children can be mitigated. Contact us today for more information.