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How can you break the news of divorce to your child?

Parents in Texas like you strive to better your child’s life. You want to give them as many opportunities as possible and keep them from suffering hardship. Unfortunately, you cannot protect them from everything. This includes the divorce you and your co-parent are going through.

Are there ways of making divorce easier to handle? Is there any right way to break the news?

Adjust your approach based on your child

Psychology Today gives some tips for talking to your child about divorce. Unfortunately, there is no “right” way to do this. Always adjust your approach based on your child’s personality and maturity. Maybe your child would prefer to get the facts in a straightforward way. Maybe they need some comforting beforehand. It is okay to accept advice from other sources as long as you tweak it to suit your own.

Lowering anxiety for your child

Next, cooperate with your co-parent. Your child will likely pick up on any stress, anxiety or anger between the two of you. Wait until a calm time to broach the topic. Stay on the same page, too. Discuss with each other beforehand. Decide what you want to leave out and what you will discuss. If you can create a feeling of unity, you can assuage some of your child’s fears.

Experts say that many of a child’s negative reactions to divorce are a response to change. In specific, they react to the threat of change. It is the unknown that makes divorce so scary. By addressing and removing some of these elements, you can help your child. This includes letting them know information about your future living situation, custody plans and more.

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