Making the decision to divorce when you have children together takes a lot of thought. One of the most difficult things that you’ll have to do is tell your kids that their parents are splitting up.
It’s important that you carefully consider how and when you’re going to tell your children about the divorce. Ideally, you will do this when they don’t have stressful events, such as final exams, going on. You should choose a time that’s calm and unrushed.
Consider telling them together
In most cases, both parents talking to the children together is beneficial. This lets the children see that their parents will continue to parent them as a team, which may help them to feel more stable as they embark on this major life change. You and your ex will also have a chance to both hear the information that’s being provided to the children.
Only say what you know will happen
It’s easy to try to make children feel better by trying to reassure them about the future. Instead of making false promises or statements that you aren’t sure you can make happen, only say what you know will happen. As time progresses, the children will start to see that they can count on their parents to tell them the truth, even when it’s difficult.
It may be beneficial to come up with the basic terms that will govern the parenting plan prior to talking to the children. This can provide you and your ex with clear guidelines that you can relay to them.