For initial first conversations, don’t overwhelm your children with information; keep the discussion straightforward and age-appropriate. Focus on addressing the fact that you are separating or getting a divorce and how life will change for now. Here are some guidelines for you to consider regarding your first conversation with children. Think through how you will…
Once you and your spouse have decided with certainty that you are going to separate or divorce, it’s time to start planning how you will tell your children. Although there may never be an ideal time, do your best to pick a day and time that provides your children with some space to process the…
Although your children are grown, don’t underestimate the impact your decision to divorce will have on them. Many adult children view their family life and their parent’s marriage as a foundation for their own relationships and marriages. When parents split up, grown children may worry that if Mom and Dad didn’t make it, what chance…
Teenage years are a time when children begin to move away from the family and establish themselves as independent young adults. As friends and social lives are the central focus for teens you may need to be more flexible regarding time arrangements between homes. Developmentally, teens have a tendency to be somewhat cynical about the…
In the pre-teen years, children literally view the world in all or nothing, right or wrong terms. They do not have the emotional maturity or skill to understand that both parents may have some responsibility for the marriage not being successful. For this reason, they are more likely to openly condemn one parent for their…