Washington parents like you have a lot of complex matters to work through during divorce. You have more to focus on than childless couples, too. Not only must you focus on your own personal matters. You must also ensure that your child remains safe moving forward.
One of the first hurdles you face is telling your child about divorce. This step is harrowing for many reasons. After all, is there any way to deliver this news without hurting your child?
Understand how your child’s personality factors in
When Psychology Today looks at ways to break news of divorce to children, they make several things clear. First, there is unfortunately no way of telling your child without upsetting them in some way. Divorce is a big matter. Children know it will change their life.
Next, there is no perfect way of tackling the subject. Every family situation is different. Above all else, every child is different, too. You do not know how your kid will react until you have the conversation. But you can make some educated guesses based on their age and maturity level. Their personality and how they react to stressful situations in the past can also give you some insight into what to expect.
Tailor your approach to your child
You should tailor your talk to your child’s age. Younger children need less information and you must speak in a more straightforward way. Older children can often handle more complex explanations. But you should still take care not to reveal too much. After all, some things remain the same for children of all ages. This includes kids potentially facing harm due to the over-explanation of divorce situations.
