Approaching kids about the subject of divorce is never easy. However, it is something that you have to do if your family is going to go through it. From my experiences with divorce and kids I have learned that they kids can deal with divorce a lot easier if you don’t try to “over-protect” them from it.
Now I am not saying to be brutally blunt about the fact that you are going to get a divorce, but what I am saying is that springing a divorce on your kids after it is in progress or moments before one parent walks out the door is harder on kids then breaking the news early in the process and then gradually make the transition.
The method used to tell children about divorce needs to be empathetic, tender, to the point, and presented in a manner that will make the most sense to your child. Age and emotional maturity are two key factors that parents need to focus on when figuring out how to break the news. One of the best ways to handle breaking the news is to involve both parents and all the kids. This family announcement situation will create a supportive setting where questions and answers can be exchanged and emotional support can be offered to all of the members of the family.
If your family is facing divorce then it is time to arm yourself with knowledge. Find information on how to tell children about divorce as well as other topics about children and divorce at Children and Divorce now!
Rosalind Sedacca, CCT
November 10th, 2007 at 00:51
Thank you for sharing this wisdom. You are certainly correct in your sensitivity toward telling kids about divorce. My own experience more than a decade ago led to my writing a guidebook for parents on how to create a storybook with family photos and history as a successful way to have this tough conversation. It’s called How Do I Tell the Kids about the Divorce? A Create-a-Storybook(TM) Guide to Preparing Your Children — With Love!
I have endorsements from therapists, attorneys, mediators, educators and other professionals from around the U.S. attesting to the value of my fill-in-the-blanks age-appropriate templates. Six therapists contribute their expertise to the book, as well. I hope divorcing couples will stop, talk and create a plan before having that crucial “divorce” talk with their children and hope, for the sake of their kids, they will decide to move ahead in creating a child-centered divorce. For free articles and more information, visit http://www.childcentereddivorce.com.
Best wishes,
Rosalind Sedacca, CCT