Getting divorced is never easy, and it is even more difficult when there are children involved. After all, kids see their parents as pillars in their lives. It is no secret that they want both parents around (until they are teens, of course). But even then, it is reasonable to believe that they don’t want their parents to split up.
Kids have the unique capacity to blame themselves when their parents’ relationship fails. Because of this, parents should be careful to follow a few simple rules when announcing their divorce. This post will highlight them.
Tell the kids together – It is important that the kids hear from both of you…at the same time, regarding your announcement. The kids shouldn’t hear about your divorce from their friends or through social media. Hearing about such an important decision in those ways is likely to harm the trust between you.
Don’t blame each other – It certainly doesn’t help things to blame the demise of the relationship on one another, or to bicker about who was at fault. Not only does this teach terrible lessons for dealing with conflict, it will hurt the kids to know that someone they look up to has let them down.
Don’t disappear – After the announcement, you must remember that you are still parents. The kids still need you in their lives, so this is not the time to disappear from their lives; even if you no longer live at “home.”
If you need more guidance about how to manage a divorce announcement with your kids, an experienced family law attorney can help.
