In a recent article entitled “Children should be fully informed in a divorce situationâ€, Health News reported on advice given by Germany’s Professional Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists. They stressed the need for parents to be open and honest with their children about coming changes to their family relations as a result of impending divorce.
Noting that it is important for parents to use words which children can understand they acknowledged that, “In most cases, parents do their best to protect their offspring and don’t tell them anything about the changes about to take place within the family.â€
Instead, it is vitally important that parents be sure to make their children aware of that each of their parents will continue to love and care for them even though the marriage has ended and the parents live apart from each other. It also must be made clear that the children are not at all at fault for the breakdown in their parents relationship.
At the best of times children have difficulty excepting the divorce of their parents. This can manifest itself in several ways including poor hygiene, aggression, crying, mood swings, problems with school work, and physical complaints like stomachaches and headaches.
The older the child is, the better he or she will be at understanding the difference between the parents relationship with each other and with the child. However, at any age divorce is hard for children to accept and parents need to keep this in mind. Continuing to be polite and respectful of one another during and after the divorce process can be one of the most helpful ways they can make this transition easier on their children.
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