High-Conflict Parents Can Cause Harm to Children in A Divorce

The terms helicopter parents and bulldozer parents have become very familiar in recent years. Where divorcing parents are concerned, there is another term, high-conflict parents. While people who are divorcing may lose track of concern for each other, the well-being of their children typically remains paramount in any divorce proceedings in Tennessee.

High-conflict parents is a term used to describe parents who are divorced or in the process of divorcing and whose failure to put aside their animosity toward each other could have a negative impact on their children. The ability to maintain civility in front of the children may be difficult for them. However, it is important to know that such conflict can have a long term and very negative impact on one’s children.

Parents who may find themselves engaging in high-conflict behavior can benefit their children by maintaining a calm, professional and detached attitude when in the presence of the children. Children can be very quick to blame themselves for problems that led to a divorce. Frequent fighting and animosity can contribute to that feeling.

Divorce is one of the most difficult things an adult may face in his or her lifetime in Tennessee. Trying to remain calm and in control in the face of it can be very difficult, particularly if one’s ex or soon to be ex-spouse appears to be attempting to cause conflict. No one should have to experience such trauma on one’s own. While confiding in a friend can be helpful in such a situation, a conversation with an experienced family law attorney may also provide some benefits. A knowledgeable attorney can assist one in reviewing the situation and possibly advise the client on some available options.