Tips to Help Your Child Open-Up During Divorce
Getting your child to open-up during your divorce can be one of the greatest challenges of all. It does take time and effort, so patience is a must. Here are a few tips to help your child share his or her feelings.
- Create occasions where your child spends one-on-one time with a friend or relative.
- Ask questions about how he or she is feeling. Do not do this out of the blue, but rather during a divorce or separation related conversation.
- Consider meeting with a family counselor on your own.
- Ask your child, “What should I do to make it better?”, or “What could I have done?”. These questions will typically invoke a response that will reveal your child’s feelings or emotions.
- If you have more than one child, try to have a family meeting about the divorce or separation. Try to find out how everyone is doing and see if things are all right. One child’s discussion may spark that of another.
- It is not recommended that you ask your child’s friends if he or she has said anything to them about the divorce and/or separation. This does seem like the easiest solution, but you are risking your child’s trust, which is absolutely invaluable during this difficult time.
- Contact the school guidance counselor for options for support.
- Contact a local church for options for support.