One of the lessons parents need to teach their children is that not all negative situations have to lead to them becoming pessimistic. Instead, you should work toward teaching them to look for positives in every situation. One powerful time for this to happen is if you are going through a divorce or are in the process of adjusting to changes in the current parenting plan.
Your children likely learn the most from watching you. They tend to emulate the adults who are in their life. This makes you one of the best people to lead them toward optimistic thinking. There are several ways that you can do this.
First, always remain thankful. You might not be happy with the end of the marriage but this is a chance for you to rebuild things the way you want them to be. You can certainly be thankful that your marriage gave you the children who have become the center of your world.
Second, express frustrations appropriately. It is unrealistic to think that you will always be happy and pleased. Instead, you are going to experience hurt, frustration, anger and other strong emotions. Taking the time to think about your reaction and making sure that it is appropriate teaches your children to do the same.
Third, take care of yourself. Situations often feel much worse than they truly are when you are tired, hungry or stressed out. Make sure that you are eating healthy foods, sleeping enough and getting exercise.
Finally, try to minimize conflicts. Working as a parenting team with your ex might not always be easy, but it is in the best interests of your children. Not only does this give them stability, but it also shows them that even people who don’t get along the best can work together.