North Carolina parents like you have a lot to handle after settling on divorce. A split is never easy. You have so many moving parts. You need to manage your own mental well-being and emotions. You need to keep an eye on your co-parent. Above all, you need to manage this time for your child.
The first task is to let your child know about the divorce. This is not something you should sit on. But how do you go about breaking the news? Is there a right way to do it?
Adjusting your response
Psychology Today talks about how to break the news of divorce to your kid. Experts tend to agree that there is not one right way to break the news. There are certain things you can do to make it easier for a kid to digest. But on a whole, what you do depends on your child. What is their temperament like? Their maturity level? Is it low for their age, or high? What will they find most upsetting about the divorce? What can you do to quell that?
Deciding how to approach the topic in advance
After asking yourself these questions, decide how to approach your child. This is where general tips come in handy. For example, it is always better to talk to your child with your co-parent rather than separately. You want to present a unified front. Along the same lines, discuss what you will say before you say it. You do not want to give conflicting information.
When delivering your information, do it in a clear, concise way. And above all, make sure you absolve your child of any guilt they may feel. After all, this divorce has nothing to do with them. It is an entirely adult matter.
