Parents who have plans to end their marriage should use certain strategies when telling their children about their divorce.

Divorce can be difficult for those in Arizona for a variety of emotional and financial reasons. For those with children, the
divorce process can be even more difficult since they have to learn to share time with their children and help their children cope with this major change. Although children may still need time to adjust, parents can use several strategies to ensure breaking the news of ending their marriage is as easy on their children as possible.

Holding the conversation

First and foremost, parents should give as much thought as possible to how they will break the news of their impending divorce to their children since they might always remember that moment. Parents should also consider the following:

• Instead of trying to shelter children from the news, parents should tell all of their children about their upcoming divorce at once.
• Parents should remember they cannot predict how their children will react to the news. For this reason, they should be prepared for many different feelings and emotions from their children.
• When children ask question about the divorce, parents should be willing to answer them as openly as possible. This helps children understand their parents are supportive of their reactions.

Additionally, although it may be difficult, parents should remember to be mature while telling their children about
ending their marriage. This also means that parents should avoid blaming each other during the discussion.

Following the discussion

Once parents have told their children they are getting divorced, there are still things they can do to help their children adjust to this transition. For example, parents should give their children as much notice as possible before introducing major changes, like starting at a new school or moving to a new home because of the divorce. It is also recommended that parents try to minimize changes in their children’s lives as much as they can in the weeks, months and years following the divorce.

On top of this, parents should make sure their children have close contact with each one of them once the divorce is underway and finalized. According to the American Psychological Association, children who lack a strong relationship with one of their parents have a harder time with major family changes, like divorce.

Reach out to an attorney

Legal assistance can often help parents and their children in Arizona struggling to cope with the idea of the upcoming divorce process. Those who have plans to end their marriage in the near future should contact an attorney in their area for guidance and assistance.