After a divorce, there will be many practical and emotional considerations that parents will have to take into account. Even if the marriage was contentious, there was still another person living in the home who shared part of the burden of running a household and raising children. Suddenly finding oneself holding the full responsibility for those things can be overwhelming. However, keeping a few things in mind can help make the transition smoother.
One of the biggest adjustments will likely be financial. Whether income is coming from a job, spousal support, child support or other means, becoming a single parent means formulating a budget and sticking to it advises MsMoney.com. In addition, being part of a couple may have meant being on the same insurance policies. Post-divorce, separate health insurance will need to be arranged for both parents and children, and beneficiaries of other policies such as life insurance may need to be changed.
While budgeting is important, savings should not necessarily take a back seat after a divorce. Any existing retirement accounts will likely be divided during the settlement; however, continuing to put money away for retirement is vital. If the children are still in school, savings for college should be another important financial consideration.
While it may be easy to dwell on the negative emotional aspects of parenting alone, it may be helpful to keep a sunny outlook and focus on the positives according to Yahoo News. Being the only parent in the household means being able to create new ways of doing things, enforcing the rules that work the best for each situation, and not being beholden to someone else’s parenting opinions. Taking advantage of that kind of flexibility can make the shift to single parenting easier on parents and kids alike.
Tags: Divorce
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