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As his or her parent, you almost certainly know your child better than anyone else does. This knowledge can be comforting but it can also be frustrating. When your child is hurting emotionally and you are unsure of how to help him or her, the idea that you know your child best and are still struggling with how to approach this emotional ache can be disconcerting. However, it is important to remember that even though you know your child well and care for him or her tremendously, you do not need to have all the answers at all times.

As you navigate the process of your divorce, you do not need to know all the answers. You “simply” need to advocate for your child’s best interests, do your best to foster these interests and do your best to figure out the answers to tough questions when tough questions arise. If your child is acting out or seems to be internalizing divorce-related stress, you may benefit from speaking with your pediatrician. You may also benefit from consulting numerous books on this subject that can be found at your local bookstore or library.

As you begin to search out information in order to better help your child through the aftermath of divorce, it can be helpful to keep certain things in mind. These few notes may not “solve” your child’s emotional aches, but they can help you to spot certain behaviors and patterns within the family as a whole that may be unintentionally harming your child. Please check back in early next week, as we will outline these introductory notes in our next blog post.

Source: The Huffington Post, “The 18 Best Things You Can Do For Your Kids After Divorce,” Brittany Wong, Feb. 17, 2015