Divorce is a difficult period in the life of anyone experiencing it. As a parent, this goes doubly for you. Not only do you have to worry about your own stress and mental well-being, but you have to worry about that for your child as well.
Thus, one of the biggest concerns of divorcing parents is: how can you get through the situation with as little trauma to your child as possible? Is there a way to do this in the first place?
Accepting that it will hurt
Psychology Today examines how to break news of divorce to your child. The first thing they note is to get rid of any unrealistic expectations, such as the notion that you can break news of divorce without doing any harm at all. Unfortunately, the very nature of divorce means your child will likely end up harmed by it. After all, you are uprooting everything they currently know in life and making very enormous and permanent changes.
Making it easier on your child
But you can still do things that will allow them an easier path to acceptance and understanding of the situation. One such way is through cooperation with a co-parent. This may seem like a difficult move at first, especially in the event of a contentious divorce. But it provides your child with several crucial things, including a strong foundation and the reaffirmation of your love for them as parents. After all, you are showing that you can set aside your differences to work together for their sake.
It also gives you the chance to plan out any discussions before you have them. This allows you to keep each other in check while also deciding how you want to handle questions and doling out information. This creation of balance leaves you better prepared, which gives your child more confidence in your ability to handle the situation, as well.
