{"id":167427,"date":"2026-02-24T20:45:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/167427\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:45:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:45:09","slug":"protecting-your-children-during-divorce-what-parents-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/167427\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting Your Children During Divorce\u2014What Parents Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Divorce doesn\u2019t just impact spouses\u2014it reshapes entire families. In Episode 8 of Split Happens<\/a>, hosts Katie Garner and board-certified family law attorney Jay Henderlite focus on what matters most during separation: your children.<\/p>\n

When parents separate, kids\u2014whether toddlers or teenagers\u2014feel it. <\/p>\n

\u201cDivorce or any kind of separation of parents is an adverse childhood experience,\u201d Henderlite explains.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean it will permanently harm them, but it does mean the experience will shape them in some way. The key question becomes: How can parents minimize the negative impact and protect their children emotionally during divorce?<\/p>\n

How Divorce Affects Children at Different Ages<\/p>\n

Hosted by meteorologist Katie Garner and Jacksonville board-certified family law attorney Jay Henderlite, this episode explores how children process divorce differently depending on their developmental stage.<\/p>\n

Young children (3\u20137 years old) may not fully understand the reasons behind the separation, but they absolutely sense tension. Children intuitively pick up on conflict, even when parents believe they are shielding them.<\/p>\n

School-aged children (6\u201310 years old) may begin asking questions and noticing inconsistencies between households.<\/p>\n

Teenagers often demand answers. They want to know why the marriage ended, who is at fault, and why their routines must change.<\/p>\n

Garner and Henderlite emphasize that children see and understand far more than adults realize. Even if they cannot articulate it, they internalize conflict\u2014and modeling unhealthy behavior in the home can normalize dysfunction for their future relationships.<\/p>\n

One common misconception addressed in the episode is the idea of \u201cstaying together for the kids.\u201d While stability can be beneficial, modeling a hostile or unhealthy marriage can also create long-term emotional consequences. Protecting children sometimes means prioritizing healthy co-parenting\u2014even after separation.<\/p>\n

Keeping Kids Out of the Conflict<\/p>\n

One of the most powerful takeaways from this episode: Keep the children out of the middle.<\/p>\n

Children should never feel responsible for the divorce, nor should they feel forced to \u201cchoose\u201d one parent over the other. When parents compete\u2014whether through gifts, relaxed rules, or emotional persuasion\u2014it places unnecessary pressure on children.<\/p>\n

Garner and Henderlite discuss common pitfalls, including:<\/p>\n

Speaking negatively about the other parent<\/p>\n

Competing to be the \u201cfavorite\u201d household<\/p>\n

Allowing inconsistent rules between homes<\/p>\n

Relying on authoritarian parenting with adolescents<\/p>\n

Uniform expectations and aligned discipline between households provide children with security. While co-parenting alignment may be difficult\u2014especially when emotions are high\u2014it remains one of the strongest protective factors for children navigating divorce.<\/p>\n

Parenting the Child You Have<\/p>\n

Episode 8 also dives into a deeper parenting principle: avoiding the trap of parenting the child you wish you had, rather than the child you actually have. Every child is unique. Developmental transitions\u2014especially adolescence\u2014require parents to evolve from rigid \u201cbecause I said so\u201d authority toward structured, explained expectations that foster respect and understanding.<\/p>\n

As Henderlite notes, when parents fail to adapt their parenting approach as children grow older, teens may naturally gravitate toward the more permissive household. The solution isn\u2019t control\u2014it\u2019s communication, structure, and consistency.<\/p>\n

Moving Forward with Stability and Support<\/p>\n

Divorce is difficult. Emotions run high. But children thrive when parents:<\/p>\n

Maintain structure and routine<\/p>\n

Avoid exposing them to adult conflict<\/p>\n

Present a united front when possible<\/p>\n

Respect each other\u2019s role in the child\u2019s life<\/p>\n

Divorce may change your family dynamic, but it does not have to damage your children\u2019s future. With thoughtful co-parenting and experienced legal guidance, families can transition with resilience.<\/p>\n

Sponsored by Sasso Guerrero & Henderlite<\/a><\/p>\n

Sasso Guerrero & Henderlite specializes in divorce, custody disputes, child support, alimony, and all areas of family law. With three board-certified marital and family law experts, their firm provides trusted legal guidance for clients across Northeast Florida, serving from offices in Downtown Jacksonville, Southside\/St. Johns\/Beaches, and Fernandina Beach.<\/p>\n

218 E. Ashley St, Jacksonville, FL 32202(904) 619-1386 | familylawyerjax.com<\/a> | splithappens.neocities.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Subscribe to Split Happens for upcoming episodes where we bring clarity and compassion to divorce and family law. <\/p>\n

\u2018Split Happens\u2019: New podcast unpacks divorce, custody battles, and starting over with confidence (Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Divorce doesn\u2019t just impact spouses\u2014it reshapes entire families. In Episode 8 of Split Happens, hosts Katie Garner and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":167428,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[2422,63272,13790,116,118,117,13795,2408,13794,13796],"class_list":{"0":"post-167427","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jacksonville","8":"tag-divorce","9":"tag-divorce-and-family-law","10":"tag-family-law","11":"tag-jacksonville","12":"tag-jacksonville-headlines","13":"tag-jacksonville-news","14":"tag-jay-henderlite","15":"tag-podcast","16":"tag-sasso-guerrero-henderlite","17":"tag-split-happens"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167427"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167427\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}