Eventually, you will need to tell the children that you’re going to get divorced. This can be a difficult step to take as a parent. But once you and your spouse have made the decision, the kids do need to be in the loop – even if you don’t need to give them all of the details.
At the same time, you want to put your children first. How can you make this conversation go smoothly?
5 tips to keep in mind
If your goal is to help the kids adjust to this new stage in their life, here are a few tips to keep in mind when telling them about the upcoming divorce:
- Do not have the conversation until you and your spouse are 100% sure you will be getting divorced.
- Start this conversation together, as a family. Both you and your spouse should present a united front and tell the kids that you still love them and you are committed to being loving co-parents.
- Stress to the children that the divorce is in no way their fault and that they did not cause it.
- Give the children time to talk and ask questions. They may want to know where they’re going to live, when they will see both of their parents and things of this nature.
- Plan the conversation for a time when you don’t have any other scheduling responsibilities. Allow the children to take as long as they need to process the information and ask questions.
These tips can certainly help, but this is still just the beginning of the divorce process. Be sure you know what legal steps to take moving forward.