Kid Tips: Divorce conflict can be harmful to kids: Divorce is tough on children. How tough will depend on the actions of their parents. If the parents focus on the children's needs more than on the property settlement and related issues, and keep spousal conflict away from the children, the children's stress will be minimized. On the other hand, if children are exposed to frequent heated arguments, fights, threats and hateful comments between their parents, it could lead to behavior problems, loyalty conflicts and fear. Hearing one parent bad-mouth the other is what kids hate the most. They love both parents.

Unfortunately, when I share this information with a parent in a divorce or custody battle, the response often is something like this: "I know that I should control my anger around the kids, but I can't. My ex pushes my buttons until I boil!" I respond with: "This isn't about you! It's about your kids." When both ex-spouses recognize that their former husband or wife is important to their children, harmony can prevail. Ex-spouses should commit to being not just civil, but nice to each other when their children are present. If you can't do it for your ex, do it for your children. As parents, the vow "Till death do us part" takes on a special meaning, married or divorced.