As a parent, you’ll have many hard conversations with your children. Some conversations you’ll have later in life when your children are more mature. But, talking about divorce may be a conversation you may need to have now.
You may be thinking, how should I talk about divorce with my children? Thankfully, this is a question many parents have asked and answered successfully. Here are the basics of what you need to know.
1. Plan What You’re Going To Say
If you’ve just considered a divorce, then you may want to wait to tell your children about the news – a lot can change between now and when you start the divorce process. But, once you’ve discussed your divorce with someone who has legal experience, it will be time to have a serious discussion about what’s happening.
That being said, preparing for a talk with your children about divorce can go a long way. You could consider, for example, when to talk to your children. It’s often believed that children shouldn’t be given life-changing news just before they’re going to school or bed, for instance. Instead, talking about divorce could occur in a safe place so that they have the opportunity to process the news without experiencing any time-related pressure.
2. Talk About What Will Change
Once you know what will happen after the divorce process is over, you will need to talk to your children about what will change. Some changes may be minor, but others may be drastically different, like where your children will live. Your children may want to know if they’ll continue going to the same school and seeing their friends and when they’ll see each parent.
3. Ask If Your Children Have Questions
Depending on the age of your children, they’ll likely be full of questions. For starters, they may wonder why this is happening in the first place. They may even ask if they were the cause of your divorce. As such, you should let your children ask as many questions as they want so they can process what’s happening.
While you may be able to answer some questions fairly easily, other questions you may not have answers for or may not believe an honest answer is appropriate for your children. When this happens, answer the question to the best of your ability and avoid getting frustrated at your children for being curious in the first place.
