Nothing sums up the decade so far quite like the selfie phenomenon. Social media bursts at the digital seams with cellphone self-portraits of people on vacation, at work, at home or anywhere the urge to share strikes them. Recently, the “divorce selfie” has emerged as a strange new take on the phenomenon. Though it may seem incomprehensible to some Alberta men and women heading toward divorce, it may not be so strange after all.
The typical divorce selfie features two smiling individuals crowding the frame. Sometimes they’re giving the thumbs up, or even brandishing their divorce papers. In the caption, many of them express that they still care about their former spouse, and that they will continue to coparent in harmony. It is not always easy to reach that level of acceptance and understanding, but it can be done by setting aside the differences that a divorced couple often has.
Parents have an especially good reason to work together as partners after a divorce. A study from Ohio State University found that children of divorced parents with an unstable relationship were more than twice as likely to struggle with poverty and have difficulty getting into post-secondary education, than kids whose parents divorced amicably. According to one family dynamics professional, it is important for parents to continue to provide comfort and stability for their kids during and after a divorce.
Not every divorce can be civil, but if there is any chance it could be, two parents owe it to their children to try. An Alberta lawyer can help an individual assess the range of options available to him or her for a nonlitigated divorce, which may be the best way to start the journey of coparenting. While taking a selfie is optional, taking care of the children is not.
Source: Global News, “Here’s what “divorce selfies” are teaching us about amicable break-ups, coparenting“, Dani-Elle Dube National, June 6, 2017