Open Communication

Talk to your child about their feelings. This time period can be quite strange for children. Their normal routine is being pulled out from under them.

There are multiple ways that you can talk to your child about their feelings. Here are a few options:

Blatantly ask your child about they are feeling
Use mood pictures to have them describe their emotions
Make a game out of it (rose [positive] and thorn [negative] of the day, etc)

Make sure your child knows that communication is ALWAYS open

Divorce conversations are not a one-time occurrence. It is important that your child feels that they can ask questions and talk about this change whenever they want.

While having conversations:

Practice active listening
Validate your child's emotions (angry, sad, confused, etc)
Consider their age while discussing the divorce

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Down the Road.......

Talk to your child about remarriage

A child might not feel the same way about your new partner. Do not force them to feel the same way you do about the remarriage
Do NOT feel guilty for getting remarried
- According to research, those who reported that their father's remarriage has a positive impact on their life also reported that their relationship with their father improved post-divorce (9).
- Try to be optimistic about your remarriage but once again do not force feelings onto your child.

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