1. Deal With the Stress of a Divorce
It's obvious that adults are profoundly affected by divorce, but children are often affected more intensely. Parents are better equipped to deal with the stress simply because of their backlog of life experience. On the other hand, children have no such well of knowledge from which to draw. That's one of the reasons why children feel responsible, guilty, lost, and desperate during a divorce. It is important for parents to speak to their children as a united front to reassure them that the children did not cause their marital problems. This will probably have to be done repeatedly and consistently.
2. Dealing With Moving
When you move because of a job or for financial reasons, that kind of upheaval can affect everyone in the household, though children are typically the most affected. Losing contact with all of their friends and having to make new ones in a new community can be traumatic. Parents can help counteract this by signing their children up for a number of social activities they know their children do or would enjoy. Consider Little League baseball, track, arts and crafts clubs and any other activity that would get your children out of the house. Older children and teens will need more guidance and encouragement to make some of these decisions for themselves, but you should always be sure to enforce discipline and limit the "wallowing" they can sometimes exhibit in the wake of a big move.
3. Fighting the Stress of Illness
When a major illness is affecting a member of the family, getting out of the house and doing fun things that the ill family member can enjoy can help manage the constant stress. Go to the movies, walk in the park, have a barbecue or just invite friends over to spend time together. The more active you remain the more you'll be able to manage your stress by focusing on other things. Families with terminally ill members can always hire a nurse to spend the day with their loved ones to ease the burden of care. Live-in nurses are also available through hospice programs and hospitals.
4. Head to Counseling
One of the most important options for dealing with family stress, whether between parents, children or the whole family, is counseling. We often can't see past our own needs or concerns, and therefore have trouble recognizing when our actions are having a profound effect on someone else. This is especially true in the family unit, where we can easily take one another for granted. Counseling is a great way for everyone to say what they are thinking and how they feel, while having access to a trained professional who can help interpret those emotions and channel them into a solution. Family counseling is available through a number of different outlets, from local clinics to hospitals. Those who are struggling financially can also find counselors who work on a sliding scale.
