How to Help Your Children Understand and Cope with Your Divorce

 Posted on February 10, 2021 in Children and Divorce

While older children typically understand the concept of divorce, younger children often struggle to grasp how their parents’ divorce will affect their everyday lives. They may not even fully comprehend that divorce means one parent will be living at a different home. Unfortunately, this lack of understanding can make coping with the divorce that much more difficult for the child. If you are considering a divorce, it is important to understand how you can help your child as you and your family go through the divorce process.

Talk to Children’s Health Professionals

A mental health professional, such as a child or family therapist, can offer insight into how your child may cope with the divorce, as well as your child’s level of understanding about the process. They can advise you regarding how to best support your child and stay alert for signs that the child is struggling, and they can also meet with your child to help him or her process feelings about the divorce. Your child’s pediatrician can also help you understand how the divorce may affect the child’s physical health and offer guidance regarding how you can continue to provide for your child’s growth and development needs, including adequate sleep and nutrition.

Check Out Children’s Books on Divorce

The increased prevalence of divorce means there are more resources than ever before for parents. In fact, parents can now find children’s books that address the subject. Such books tend to explain divorce using stories that children can relate to and easily understand. They also focus on the complex feelings that go along with a divorce, such as fear, guilt, and anger. Overall, they can give your child a better grasp of the situation, what is to come, and how he or she can cope.

Choose Your Words Wisely

When parents fear how their child will respond to the divorce process, they sometimes skirt around the issue by using words or descriptions that seem less severe but that are not quite accurate. Often, this is because parents want to save their child from the pain of reality. Unfortunately, not telling the truth about the situation can do exactly the opposite. It can confuse children, which can make it even more difficult for them to adjust and cope with the situation. So, despite your own fear or feelings, be honest with your child and use words you know he or she will understand.

Contact a Kane County Family Law Attorney

It can be challenging enough to help your child through the divorce process while dealing with your own emotions, and addressing the legal challenges of divorce may only seem to add further stress. The good news is that the team at Goostree Law Group is here to help. We will work to protect your rights and your family’s best interests, every step of the way. Call 630-584-4800 to schedule a free consultation with an experienced St. Charles divorce lawyer at our firm today.

Sources:

http://www.bradenton.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article126488104.html

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/pediatricians-help-through-divorce