On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Sunday, January 27, 2019.
If you and your spouse in Missouri have made the hard decision to end your marriage and you have children together, one of the hardest things you will be faced with is telling your kids about the divorce and then subsequently supporting them as they adjust to the changes that are sure to come. There is no one way to do this in part because children need different things at different ages. If you have a preschool-aged child, you will want to keep things simple and be prepared for repeat conversations.
As explained by Today’s Parent, the world of a three-year-old is a relatively self-centered and concrete one. When you initially share with your child that you and their other parent are not going to be living together anymore, you should be ready to discuss the child’s everyday life. For example, you should let your child know who will take them to school, who will read them a bedtime story and if you are still going to a grandparent’s house for dinner every Sunday.
Letting a child know what to expect is a way of providing them a sense of security, something important during a time of change. Children at this age also tend to ask the same questions multiple times, making your patience in repeating things important.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give divorcing parents in Missouri some guidance on how to tell their young children about a parental split and how to support their children’s needs during this process.
