Putting children in the middle of a messy divorce or custody battle is never the answer. What did they do to deserve this? What could they have done to help? Nothing. A child should never feel as though they are the problem in an adult's relationship.

Jerry Davich bravely wrote about the custody exchange that he experienced, and you will note it profoundly impacted the child involved. Separations are messy at times, but they don't have to be and often the one significantly hurt is the child. I encourage you to read Jerry's story to see how parents can affect their child if they are hostile during parenting time exchanges.

When the young girl was screaming that she was “scared,” this is an opportunity for parents to address her fear and teach her that parents make mistakes too.

Parents in this situation should address a child's fear by ending the argument, apologizing to one another, and provide the child with an example that parents can be cordial with one another.

As sad as divorce or separations can be, they also offer opportunities for children to learn about positive relationships and favorable dispute resolution. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you have more positive parenting time exchanges.