Child support is key to the physical and emotional wellbeing of kids with divorced parents. In this article, you can learn about the five specific ways that child support helps kids lead happy and healthy lives.
It’s estimated that around 50% of marriages end in divorce.
Divorces are always painful. They’re made even more painful when there are children involved.
Eventually, most children adapt to their parents being divorced and go on to live as normal lives as possible. One of the reasons this is possible in the first place is because of child support.
Child support (also known as child maintenance) is money that’s paid to help a child’s living costs. The payments are made by the parent who doesn’t live with the child. For example, if the children live with the mother and she does the majority of the day-to-day care, then the father will pay the child support.
Child Support Issues: What Happens?
If a parent is unable to pay child support on some occasions, then this can lead to arguments and conflicts. The law will usually then get involved and enforce the payments. However, even when the payments are enforced, it can still lead to bad blood between the parents. To fix any of the problems that they have, they will often turn to co-parenting classes and counseling from Two Healthy Homes. The aim of this is to help them deal with child support and any other problems that are negatively affecting them.
Now, let’s discuss the benefits of child support and how they help kids to lead happy and healthy lives.
- Reduced Conflict Between Parents
When child support is regularly paid, it helps to reduce conflict between parents. Even if there is a mutual dislike and frustration, the fact that one parent is making child support payments and the other parent is doing a good job with the day-to-day care helps to keep everything nice and under control. As a result, the children get to experience a more positive relationship between their parents. After all, no child wants to see their parents in constant disputes.
- Better Clothing
Next, child support helps to pay for better clothing.
Clothing is very important for children, as it often dictates how they feel about themselves.
On top of this, when children wear better clothing, it makes them less susceptible to being picked on at school for wearing poor-quality, cheap clothing.
- Healthier Food
Every child needs a healthy diet: it’s a universal fact.
Fortunately, child support payments allow children to have their dietary requirements met through regular healthy meals.
- Educational Needs Are Met
From school trips to textbooks, there are lots of costs that come with putting your children through school. However, all of these costs can be covered when child support is paid on time. For example, if one parent doesn’t work (and instead looks after their children full-time), then they perhaps wouldn’t be able to afford any school trips without the child support payments.
- More Leisure Activities
Lastly, child support enables children to take part in more leisure activities, from attending sports clubs to annual trips to the theme park. Remember, child support doesn’t just cover the essentials – it can also be used to pay for fun leisurely activities.