Divorce can be stressful and disruptive for your entire home. There is a lot of loss that has to be addressed with a divorce. Adding an emotional support animal to your home can help to ease the pain of divorce for your children. Here are some compelling reasons to add an emotional support animal to your home composition after a divorce.
Emotional Support Animals Help Fight Depression and Anxiety
Emotional support pets can help fight depression and anxiety. Divorce is hard on parents but may even be harder on children. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 75% of children live with their mothers after a divorce. They often visit with their dad on the weekends and holidays. It can be very overwhelming for a child to split their lives between two homes. It can trigger feelings of anxiety and depression.
Having an emotional support animal that can move back and forth with the child can be very comforting. It can help ease the transitions from home to home.
An Emotional Support Animal Can Take a Child's Mind Off the Divorce
When a child is responsible for another life, it gives them a sense of purpose. Many children feel that they are somehow responsible for their parent's divorce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the divorce rate has declined by more than 50% since 1980. However, the divorce rate is still at about 45%.
Giving your child an emotional support animal to care for can be a great way to help them to focus on something other than the situation. You can spend quality time teaching your child how to care for their new friend. For example, you can spend time discussing feeding schedules. You can share that feeding your dog two to three meals a day may be a better feeding schedule. Make your child responsible for caring for their new support animal, and you will give them something positive to focus on.
Support Animals Can Restore Hope
Children, like adults often feel hopeless when life plans dramatically change because of circumstances. A new pet can help to restore hope and give your child something to look forward to. When everything is in an uproar and chaotic because of the changes from divorce, it is easy to fall into a place where hope can be lost. A new emotional support animal can help to restore hope that everything will be okay.
The Dog Will Become a Best Friend
It can be hard for kids to open up to people about how they feel about their parents divorcing. Divorce rates are high, and your child probably knows several children whose parents have divorced, but that does not make it any easier on them. An emotional support animal can be that "friend" they can unload on that does not pass judgment and just sits and listens attentively. It does not matter if the animal can speak back; sometimes, all you need is someone to confide in and listen to you. An emotional support animal can be that "friend" for your child.
Emotional support animals are not only good for the children during and after a divorce, they are good for everyone in the home. They help bring peace to the home and help everyone start healing after a divorce.
Helping your children to navigate divorce is important, but it can be difficult when you are in such a stressful situation yourself. Brining an emotional support dog home can be a game changer for everyone. It can help you to help your child, and you too will feel better.
Learn more today about how an emotional support animal can be the right choice for any home that is dealing with divorce. Reach out to a professional that is experienced working with both support animals and their human companions. Do it today.