Proceeding With a Divorce? The Way You Break it To Your Children Matters!

Talking to your children about your divorce has to be one of the most complex and heartbreaking discussions you can ever be a part of. Knowing that divorce is the best decision for you and your family will not make it any easy either.

Divorce will significantly impact your children’s lives, regardless of their age. It can be tough to see parents break their marriage vows, watch the loss of parental love, and move around to keep connected with both parents.

In such cases, having an empathetic, compassionate, and experienced divorce attorney makes things easier for you and your family. A divorce attorney Appleton can help you in such cases as they are well versed with the child custody laws in Wisconsin.

• Plan it out

Sit down with your soon-to-be ex-spouse and decide how you would like to break the divorce news. It is a sensitive matter, so you have to put a lot of thought and effort into breaking the news with the slightest chance of emotional damage. It is advisable to break the news to them when the family is all together and in a calm mood since it will be more impactful.

• Break the news together

The divorce might be happening for multiple reasons, and you might not be on good terms with your partner, but your child deserves to hear it from you. Instead of blaming each other and fighting in front of your child, explain why the divorce is necessary and how it will allow the entire family to be happier. If you have multiple children, sit all of them down together instead of telling the elder ones first. Although it might look easier like this, all of them must hear it together so the children can support and be there for each other.

• Talk about how it will change their lives

If you and your partner have already talked about who gets to keep the children, explain it to them with reasons to support your decision. Do not give vague answers as your child is already suffering, and having no concrete idea of the future will add to the agony.

Having all the answers is unnecessary, but you should have all the necessary answers before you sit your children down, as it makes it easier for them.

• Provide reassurance

Make sure that your children do not blame themselves for your divorce. It is quite often seen that children assume that it might be happening because of them. Talk to them about how the difference is not reconcilable and divorce is the only best-suited option. Tell them that the divorce doe not change how you feel about them and that you love them just the same.