How To Talk To Kids About Divorce - Bineham & Gillen
 

divorceFamily LawHow To Talk To Kids About Divorce

October 21, 2022by James Gillen
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Divorce is hard for adults to go through, and its impacts are only magnified for children. Whenever you and your partner are finally parting ways, there are good and bad ways to tell a child about divorce.

If you’re going through the divorce process, you need a lawyer that you can trust. Bineham and Gillen has served the San Antonio community for over 30 years and counting. With extensive family law experience, we want the best for our clients. That’s why we’ve put together the following steps to help you break the news about divorce to your children.

Make A Plan

Divorce doesn’t happen overnight, which means that you don’t have to tell your children about it right away. Have an honest talk with your partner about how you would like to break the news about a divorce. Not telling your children immediately can prevent your emotions from running too high and allow you and you partner to develop a plan. Family law is difficult to navigate, but planning out what you’re going to say to your child makes it more stable for both parties.

Create A United Front

When a divorce is happening, don’t leave it up to one partner to tell a child about the divorce. Letting your child know that both parents are there for them can end a lot of tension that you and your child may be feeling, and it will help them feel supported. It also means that there will be less change in the structure of the family, which is comforting. Creating a united front will also let your child know they can go to both parents about the situation, instead of only one.

Leave Nothing To The Imagination

While a child’s imagination is beautiful, it can be their own worst enemy at times. With the possibility of terrifying images like moving away and fighting going through their mind, it’s important to explain what is going to happen. Not only does this give the child something to prepare for, but lets them know where you are in the divorce process.

Don’t Make Them Choose

Making a child choose off of the bat which parent they want to live with can be stressful for them. When you decide to tell a child about divorce, let them know that they won’t ever have to choose between you and your partner at all. This will take away decision paralysis and pressure about living in separate houses.

Be Prepared

Children aren’t going to have a great understanding of the future post-divorce. This is going to leave them with a lot of emotions that they aren’t familiar with. Be prepared to handle a lot of big emotions This can be therapy for you and your child, planning something fun to do all together, or even just spending time with your child separately! This will let them know their life isn’t over just because their parents are getting divorced.

Stick With Your Rules

A difficult aspect of the divorce process is sticking with the same rules in both households. This can not only prevent a lot of internal feuds but also provide consistent expectations for your child. With the set of rules being the same at both houses, it keeps consequences the same and the boundary is set.

Contact A Divorce Attorney!

When you’re looking for a San Antonio divorce attorney, Bineham and Gillen has your back. We have 30+ years of experience working with San Antonio families, and we care about our community. With services ranging from international divorce to custody, we’re here for you. Call us today!