Teenage years for many children feel like a mid-life crisis without any major event happening to reiterate this type of feeling.
A divorce, for many teenage children, will feel like the world is completely crashing down around them. Although talking to your teen about divorce will never be easy, there are a few tips to keep in mind to help ease the subject a bit.
Start Off By Explaining What a Divorce Is
For some teens, especially younger teens, what a divorce truly is will not be common knowledge. It is okay to explain to your teen that a divorce is the legal way to become unmarried. It is important to ensure that your teen knows even though the marriage will be ended, you and your spouse will always be parents.
How to Approach the Subject as To Why the Divorce Came About
Answering the question “Why are you getting divorced?” will never be easy as a parent, however, most teens will ask that question when they find out you are getting divorced. There are a couple different ways to approach this subject. One way to address this subject is that you and your spouse are just no longer happy together and can no longer make the marriage work. No matter what way the subject is addressed, it should always be assured that the teen had no part in why the divorce is happening.
Let Your Teen Know It Will Still Be Possible To See Both Parents
A divorce is life changing, not only for the two spouses going through the divorce, but also for the children. Your teen will wonder what is going to happen to them when the divorce goes through. It is imperative to reassure your teen that visitation with both parents will be possible, and he or she will have some input into how the custody agreement will go. It can be explained that an attorney such as an attorney at All Family Law Group, P.A. will help get the custody agreement defined and set to ensure it is the best agreement for all parties involved.
No matter what the cause of a divorce is, it will always be just as hard, if not harder, on the children involved as the two individuals going through the divorce. Teenage years are a rough ride for most teens anyway, and when a divorce is included, the teen can have some difficulty coping. Approaching the subject delicately, and helping your teen deal the best you can is just as important as dealing with the divorce yourself.