When Wisconsin parents decide to divorce, you may be thinking of a lot of different things. Who will get the house? Will one parent get primary custody, or will you go with joint custody? How will you deal with your financial situation? In all of this chaos, you may forget one important thing: what exactly will you tell your child?
Every couple has a different reason for getting a divorce, and the divorce itself is obviously not something that you can keep hidden from your child. But just how much should you reveal? The Spruce states that age and maturity have a direct impact on what you should tell your child about your divorce. Generally speaking, the younger and less mature a child is, the less they need to know.
However, the truth should still be told, especially in scenarios where some of the reasons for the divorce are obvious. For example, if there was infidelity or if abuse occurred during the marriage, these things were likely already noticed by the child. It’s up to you to decide how to bring them up, and in many cases, fewer details are better. However, keep in mind that not answering direct questions will potentially drive your child to asking other people for answers instead.
In this scenario, if it’s possible, it’s better for you and your ex-spouse to be on the same page regarding what you’re going to tell your children and when you’ll tell them. This will keep conflicting information and biases to a minimum, cut down on confusion, and allow you to share exactly the right amount of information.
