Many struggle with divorce. It marks such a fundamental life shift, a change to the core structure of the family, that uncertainty and other powerful emotions can run high. While divorce can be the best path towards a brighter future, it can still be difficult to go through. This is true both of the divorcing spouses and also for their children. If you are going through a divorce, you are likely to face some difficult questions and many of these may come from your kids. When you already have so much on your plate, it may be difficult to formulate answers to these questions that satisfy the curiosity of your children as well as accurately reflect the complexity of the circumstances that can surround a divorce. To help you prepare, let’s take a look at some of the questions you may face from your kids about divorce.
What Questions Will Kids Ask About Divorce?
The questions you get from your kids can, of course, vary greatly. They may be very different depending on the age of your kids and you are likely to get different questions from each. There are some general classes of questions, however, to prepare for. One of the first categories of questioning is likely to involve who is to blame for the divorce. These questions are likely to be the most difficult. Your kids may blame themselves for the divorce. They may place the blame squarely on the shoulders of one parent and not the other. While having the other parent take the fall for the divorce may be tempting, it will not be conducive to weathering this storm as a family and can do irreparable harm to the parent child relationship. Remember, having a workable co-parenting relationship with your former spouse will be important to all involved and that relationship begins right away.
While you may have some deep feelings that place the blame of divorce on your co-parent, now is the time to reflect on how you want your kids to understand why the divorce is happening. Yes, you want to be honest with them and that will likely involve taking a deep dive into the complexities of your marriage, your life, and what led to the decision to divorce. Relationships are, after all, extremely complex. The best you can likely do for your children is to make it clear that the divorce is not their fault. It is the ending of a marriage relationship. It is not the end of a co-parenting relationship and both you and your former spouse will always be there for your children.
There are also likely to be an awful lot of logistical questions for your kids. Your kids, understandably so, will be very interested to know as many details as possible about how the divorce will impact their lives and what will change. Where will I live? Will we move? Will I need to change schools? Can I still see my friends? Will I still be able to do my after school activities? Kids will want to know these things. Giving them as many answers as possible can put their minds greatly at ease and help reduce some of the anxiety they may be experiencing.
Texas Family Law Attorneys
If you are a parent going through divorce, you will have a lot on your plate. Let the trusted team at Navarrete & Schwartz help you by providing dedicated legal support throughout the divorce process. We are proud to serve the residence of Midland, Texas. Contact us today.