After a divorce it may be tempting to spoil your children in an attempt to make up for what they’ve gone through as a result of the divorce. No parent likes to see their child suffer, but spoiling them doesn’t make the pain go away. Instead it often breeds other problems. In a time when their life is in shambles they need boundaries to give them a sense of security. It gives them stability in an otherwise very unstable time in their lives.
Instead of spoiling your kids, help them learn the value of earning the little luxuries in life. Give them chores that they can do to earn some extra money around the house. It teaches them the importance of saving their money and working hard for what they want. It also gives you an opportunity to teach them about different tasks around the house. This helps you out as you are now taking care of all household duties on your own and it also teaches your child life skills that will carry over into their adult lives.
Help your child learn responsibility while they are young. The older they get the harder it will be for them to learn these life lessons. Don’t let your divorce change the way you parent your children. If you spoil them, it won’t take long before they start taking advantage of the guilt you are feeling. It becomes a vicious cycle and in the end it gets you nowhere. Show them the importance of working hard and quit feeling guilty. It’s never any fun to see your child struggling because of decisions that are out of their control, but in the end they will become stronger for it. That strength alone is far more precious than anything you could buy them to make up for it.