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How can we tell the kids about our divorce?

On Behalf of | Jun 22, 2019 | Family Law |

When you and your spouse in Wisconsin have made the difficult decision to get divorced, you must then figure out how to share the news with others. If you have children, telling them may be one of the hardest things you feel you need to do. There are ways that you can approach these conversations that give your kids the best chance to process the information and keep lines of communication open with you.

As explained by Today’s Parent, every child may have different concerns or understandings about your divorce based on their age, their personality and level of maturity. At some point, individual conversations will be important but the first time you tell your kids about the divorce, everyone should be together. This avoids a situation where one child feels the burden of keeping a big secret from their siblings if they are told first.

When it comes to young children, expect to have multiple but short conversations that often focus on the tactical elements of their daily lives. As children get older, you will want to help them talk about their emotions as they may not fully understand them or how to manage them. It is important that kids never get the idea that the divorce is their fault.

This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give parents in Wisconsin some guidelines and ideas for how they may initiate conversations about their divorce with kids in ways that are age-appropriate and conducive to helping children through the experience.

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