From kidshealth.org, “Advice For Parents Getting A Divorce” is intended to help parents who are currently going through a divorce. The article starts with the following honest assessment:
What’s the best way to help your family get through a divorce? Every situation — and every family — is different. But some stress reducing guidelines might make the adjustment a bit easier.
These suggestions can make the process less painful for kids, teens, and families. Parents will need to interpret them in their own ways; honesty, sensitivity, self-control, and time itself will help the healing process. Be patient — not everyone’s timetable is the same.
This article includes helpful advice for parents on:
- Helping kids to manage their feelings.
- Sheltering kids from adult arguments.
- Keeping kids out of the middle.
- Dealing with resistance to dating and remarriage.
- Getting help
Here is one important piece of advice from the article:
It’s important for divorcing — and already divorced — parents to sit down with their kids and encourage them to say what they’re thinking and feeling. But you’ll need to keep this separate from your own feelings. Most often, children experience a sense of loss of family and may blame you or the other parent — or both — for what is going on in their lives. So, you’ll really need to be prepared to answer questions your kids might raise or to address their concerns.
LINK: http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/divorce.html
For more resources and information on divorce, family disruption and modern families please visit our Hope 4 Hurting Kids Divorce and Modern Family Help Center.
