Protecting Your Kids Through Divorce: A Mental Health Expert's Guide
Seth Nelson and Pete Wright welcome Dr. Larry Waldman, a psychologist with over four decades of clinical experience helping families navigate divorce. As the author of "Love Your Child More Than You Hate Your Ex," Dr. Waldman shares crucial insights on protecting children from trauma during divorce and maintaining healthy parent-child relationships through major life transitions.
The conversation explores the often-invisible ways parents unknowingly traumatize their children during divorce, from erasing evidence of the other parent to making children emotional confidants. Dr. Waldman, Seth, and Pete discuss practical strategies for maintaining stability, fostering healthy co-parenting relationships, and ensuring children feel secure and supported throughout the divorce process. Their discussion weaves together psychological insights with legal considerations, offering a comprehensive guide for parents navigating this challenging transition.
Questions we answer in this episode:
- How do parents unknowingly traumatize their children during divorce?
- What's the best way to handle transitions between homes?
- When should older children have input in scheduling decisions?
Key Takeaways:
- Keep photos of both parents visible in children's spaces
- Focus on positive experiences during transitions between homes
- Maintain appropriate parent-child boundaries; don't make children confidants
This episode provides essential guidance for any parent going through divorce, offering both practical strategies and deeper insights into protecting children's emotional well-being. Dr. Waldman's expertise, combined with Seth's legal perspective and Pete's facilitation, creates a valuable resource for maintaining healthy family relationships during and after divorce.
Links & Notes
- Get Dr. Waldman’s book “Love Your Child More Than You Hate Your Ex”
- Schedule a consult with Seth
- Got a question you want to ask on the show? Click here!
- (00:00) - Welcome to How to Split a Toaster
- (00:27) - Meet Larry Waldman
- (01:11) - Invisible Damage
- (04:48) - Damnatio Memoriae
- (06:15) - What Does Divorce Look Like to the Child?
- (08:47) - Making the Child a Confidant
- (09:32) - Weaponizing Your Kids in Court
- (10:30) - Someone New
- (12:19) - Stability and Security During the Divorce
- (15:26) - When They’re Older
- (20:00) - Your Child Is the Focus
- (21:04) - When They Grow Up
- (22:22) - When They Come Back from the Other Parent’s
- (23:59) - Using the Kid as a Scapegoat
- (25:51) - Larry’s Book
- (27:16) - Demonstrating What’s Most Important
- (29:38) - Wrap Up
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