Only children can be affected by divorce involving child custody

 Posted on August 26, 2015 in Child Custody

One of the biggest sticking points of a divorce in Illinois is child custody. This is because two parents may not agree on where the child should primarily live and who should have the power to make decisions that impact the child. Only children are particularly impacted by a divorce proceeding involving child custody.

One of the reasons that divorce impacts only children so heavily is that it may cause these children to feel very isolated following divorce. After all, they do not have any brothers or sisters with whom they can discuss the marital dissolution and related life changes. Also, if they do end up having to change schools or neighborhoods, it might be more challenging for them to approach their peers than it would be for children with one or more siblings.

Only children also run the risk of becoming their parents' confidantes. This is because they are usually verbally advanced since they spend a lot of personal time with grownups. This may cause their parents to improperly assume that these kids can process adult feelings or offer helpful advice. It is paramount that only children are given opportunities to spend plenty of time with other children closer to their own ages through activities or playdates.

When it comes to child custody, two divorcing individuals may be able to collaboratively develop a mutually acceptable parenting plan with proper legal guidance. This can help them both achieve an outcome that is personally favorable while avoiding the legal battles that often scar a child caught in the middle of a child custody battle. If two parents cannot agree on the matter, a judge in Illinois will have to step in and make their child custody-related decisions for them.

Source: The Huffington Post, "Parenting Only Children After Divorce", Samantha Rodman, Aug. 25, 2015