As parents, the last thing you want is for your child to feel distressed. Unfortunately, you cannot avoid the negative emotions that will accompany them finding out about your intention to divorce.
But there are things you can do that can help smooth this period of time over just a little more, making it easier for them to accept their future.
The tricky truths of divorce
Psychology Today takes a look into delving into the topic of divorce with your children. Divorce is a sticky subject to cover, and often more complex than a child’s ability to understand. Because of that, you should talk to your co-parent about how much you want to divulge and how much you want to keep to yourself.
You should always be honest with your child about divorce. However, retain the parent-child relationship and do not over-inform them about the personal, private matters and details that went into the divorce decision, or that caused the divorce to happen.
Get ready for questions
Prepare yourself for a slew of questions, too. Your child will likely have many, and you want to ready yourself to answer as many of them as possible. This can help assuage any concerns they might have.
You want to ensure that they understand they are not to blame for the divorce, too. Many children have a tendency to self-blame because they have a very narrow world view. You want to dispel these thoughts and concerns as quickly as you can. Reaffirm your love for them while telling them about the divorce that is coming down the road, and they will already have a sturdier foundation.
