Parents who are in a separation or divorce process often feel understandable feelings of overwhelm and trepidation about telling their children what is happening. Still, children greatly benefit when they receive accurate and clear information; without facts, they may answer their own questions and fill the void with inaccuracies and assumptions.
Each family’s conversation will be unique and individual. However, there are some general tips that will apply to all families preparing for this dialogue. Here are some of them:
1. Plan the conversation in advance and decide which parent will say what in the conversation.
2. Have …

By Carolyn via TheGrownUpChild
Have you ever agreed with someone on a topic only to realize later, after closer consideration that you didn’t agree at all, and you wish wish wish you could go back in time and change your answer?
Just me?  Oh.
As a guest on the online radio show Coparenting Matters, one of the co-hosts Talibah asked me this question (I’m paraphrasing): “Would you agree that it’s not divorce itself but how parents can conduct themselves after divorce that hurts children?”
It’s an interesting question and something that I’ve heard before and yet never carefully considered.
It sounded …

Divorce can be extremely difficult and frankly traumatic for children. What you do and how you do it will determine how well your child deals with your divorce.
KidsHealth.org has a great set of tips that any couple facing this situation should follow.  The article is presented below.
Helping Kids Cope
Divorce brings numerous changes and a very real sense of loss. Many kids — and parents — grieve the loss of the kind of family they had hoped for, and children especially miss the presence of a parent and the family life they had. That’s why …

Rafael Richman, Ph.D.
The process of separation and divorce can be very painful for you and for your whole family. Below, however, you can find some tips and details to make talking to your children about your decision to separate or divorce somewhat easier:

1. Choose an appropriate time and place for your conversation.
Choose a time and place that works for your children. The best location for most children and families is at home, where it is comfortable and private. A quiet environment is better – minimize distractions, turn off all phones (including your cell-phones), the television, …

Divorce is certainly an emotional time for families. In fact, it ranks as one of the most stressful experiences in life. However, it is not only the adults who experience this stress. If the adults are parents, their children often suffer greatly. Their suffering can not be entirely eliminated. A certain amount of grief at the ‘death’ of their parents’ relationship is to be expected. Nevertheless, while the adults are going through typically arduous legal wrangling it is important for them to remember the needs of their children and put them first. Deciding to cooperate …

Most couples in the throes of parting, one or the other insists on counseling to try to put the marriage back together. Once one has decided it is over, this usually soon becomes apparent to both that this is not going to work and it is going to be a waste of time.  
 
However, if you can both agree you need to come apart with the least turmoil, then I would suggest you seek counseling on how to come a part, particularly to make it not only emotionally easier on each other but to learn how …

By Karen DeBord, Ph.D. Child Development Specialist North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.
Parents who are going through divorce often believe that shielding children from the stress of the situation is in the children’s best interest. But regardless of their parents’ good intentions, children often find themselves caught in an emotional whirlpool during these times. Instead of protection, they need support and reassurance during this temporarily stressful time. This guide will help you understand the stress that children often feel when their parents divorce.
A Common Understanding
Parents dealing with a divorce want to protect their children from the …

By STEPHANIE OBLEY 

A new therapeutic tool for helping children deal with divorce may appeal to kids in a way nothing else will – as a computer video game. Earthquake in Zipland debuted last year and is a quest-style game that follows the struggles of Moose, the son of the King and Queen of Zipland, a small paradise island held together by a zipper. An earthquake rips the island in two, leaving the king and queen on separate islands, and Moose sets out to build a new zipper to bring the islands – and his parents – …

Remember the days when there were books for children on “difficult” topics such as divorce or puberty (you know the ones I’m talking about: “Where do Babies Come From”, “Why is Mommy’s New Friend Sleeping Over”) – those books. They were pretty good, had some decent cartoons, and for the most part did what they were supposed to do - help parents avoid awkward conversations with their children.But divorce is not something you can just sweep under the carpet and hope will go away. According to a recent British survey, only 1 in 20 children …

It can happen in many ways. Sometimes, suddenly, out of the blue, with no warning whatsoever. Other times, the music slowly, gradually, fades to a deafening silence.
Divorce is the great plague on American families today. More than 40% of adults under 40 are children of divorced parents. The U.S. now has the highest divorce rate (roughly 44%) of the Western nations, though it’s slightly declining. Avoiding it, preparing for it and dealing with the consequences of when the music stops involve millions of us every day.
Here in France, where the “use” of a lover is …