Explaining Divorce to Your Children

The topic of divorce is never easy for anyone, including children. Sometimes, divorce can be hard to explain to children, but it’s not impossible to do.

Read more in this blog by ‌‌Bobby Dale Barina, Attorney At Law about how you can have an open and honest discussion about your divorce with your children.

Plan What You Will Say

As a parent, maybe your instincts will lead you to want to protect your kid’s feelings. Telling them that you’re getting a divorce could possibly impact their emotions negatively, but you can get ahead of this by planning how you will communicate with them.

As a solution, try asking your ex to help you plan what you will tell your kids. Working together to help your kids understand and telling them at the same time can minimize confusion. Wait for a moment when your kids can be focused on the conversation and then open the floor for an honest conversation.

Be Honest About Your Divorce

When the time comes to explain what’s going on in your divorce to your children, it’s important to remember to be honest when your children ask questions about the divorce. To make the conversation easier for your children to understand, you and your ex should consider talking to them together.

By having the conversation together, you will have an opportunity to be as clear as possible about the new expectations you will set for your children. This could include cooperating with a custody agreement, or setting a new visitation schedule.

Explain What Happens Next

Your children may not be able to fully understand what will happen as a result of your divorce. Explaining the end result — like where they will live, or who they will live with— is crucial for their understanding of what divorce really means.

Try not to leave your children wondering about when things will happen. Let them know what you’re planning as parents and keep them updated on how the process is moving forward, like when they will be having visitations and how they will be communicating with both parents in the future.

If you’re going through a divorce and have questions about child custody, our team is more than happy to answer them. Give us a call at (254) 323-5506 to schedule a consultation.