Ages and Stages

Although your children are grown, don’t underestimate the impact your decision to divorce will have on them.  Many adult children view their family life and their parent’s marriage as a foundation for their own relationships and marriages. When parents split up, grown children may worry that if Mom and Dad didn’t make it, what chance…

Teenage years are a time when children begin to move away from the family and establish themselves as independent young adults. As friends and social lives are the central focus for teens you may need to be more flexible regarding time arrangements between homes. Developmentally, teens have a tendency to be somewhat cynical about the…

In the pre-teen years, children literally view the world in all or nothing, right or wrong terms. They do not have the emotional maturity or skill to understand that both parents may have some responsibility for the marriage not being successful. For this reason, they are more likely to openly condemn one parent for their…

Now that children have begun to establish a sense of “who they are,” their focus turns to building self-esteem. The development of special skills or talents becomes one way children start to feel good about themselves. Keep in mind your child’s relationship with the other parent is still a key factor in how they view…

During their pre-school years, children begin to develop ideas about who they are. The most important influences regarding that identity are Mom and Dad.  Additionally, relationships with parents also form the basis for future social skills and gender identity. Young children will often choose individual characteristics of parents as a way to define who they…

As children move into toddlerhood, they begin to view themselves as separate from their parents. While exploring their newfound independence, these young children will also experience a wide range of emotions but lack the ability to understand or manage their feelings. Be mindful that your toddler will primarily express their feelings with actions especially when…

The primary developmental task for infants is to bond with Mom and Dad and gain a sense of security in the world around them. This occurs through regular consistent contact (for example, parents meeting their child’s needs through daily activities such as changing, feeding, holding, interacting etc.) When parents live apart, meeting this developmental need…