It can be difficult for parents to have conversations about divorce with their children. It’s an emotionally sensitive topic for the parents, and the children may not understand why it’s happening or how it’s going to change their lives.
Naturally, parents want to focus on stability and security for their children, helping them emotionally deal with these changes. With this in mind, here are a few tips parents can use when having this conversation.
Breaking the news together
First and foremost, parents should work together to break the news, having a family conversation for the first time that this is discussed. It’s not something that one parent should have to do alone. Additionally, for parents with multiple children, all of the children should be informed at the same time.
Considering the details
Depending on the children’s ages, parents may have to think about what details those kids need to hear. For some, it may be enough just to know that the divorce is happening and how it will affect them. But for others, there could be big questions about why it is happening and what has led the parents to this point. Each child is different, and parents need to consider their maturity and their age.
Allow children to ask questions
Finally, it’s important to consider how the children may react to the news. Many of them are going to have questions. Where will they live? Who will take care of them? Will they still get to see their friends or go to the same school? It’s important for parents to remember that this conversation should go both directions and that children should have time to ask their important questions, rather than just being informed about the divorce by their parents.
As parents move toward divorce, they need to carefully consider the legal steps they can take to continue putting their children first.
