Tips for talking to kids about divorce

Ending a marriage can be one of the most traumatic events that you’ll experience during your lifetime. The news that you’re getting a divorce may be even harder for your kids to handle. Therefore, it is important that you explain what is happening in an honest manner without going into too much detail.

Announce the news together

Ideally, you and your spouse will talk with your children about the divorce at the same time. Doing so can make it harder for either side to blame each other for the relationship coming to an end. It may also make it easier to reassure your child that both parents are still going to be in his or her life.

Strive for stability

A divorce will likely cause some level of disruption to a child’s life. However, it is important that you stick as closely as possible to any routines that were established before the divorce occurred. Doing so may make it easier for your son or daughter to adjust to his or her new circumstances.

Remind your child that he or she is not at fault

Children tend to think that they were the reason that their parents got divorced. Therefore, it is critical that you make clear that you and your former spouse were the only ones at fault for the marriage ending.

Keep the children out of conflicts

During the divorce process, it is likely that you and your former spouse will have arguments about various topics. However, you should make sure not to mention them in front of your kids. It is also a good idea to refrain from talking about legal matters related to a divorce in front of the kids.

A family law attorney work to help you pursue child support and custody of your children. If you can’t get custody of your son or daughter, an attorney may be able to help you obtain visitation rights or the ability to contact your children regularly.