Talking to your children about divorce or separation
It can be difficult to know how to tell your children about divorce or separation, especially when you may be struggling with painful emotions. It is helpful to remember that at any age, your child is likely to feel a sense of loss and grief. They may feel angry, guilty, sad or anxious, and they may take their feelings out on their parents. The links below include good support for you and your child or children, plus information on legal aspects and some helplines.
- My partner and I are separating and I’m worried the kids will suffer Relate has an excellent website and also run parent sessions in some areas with guidance.
- Divorce and supporting your child: Parent Guide
- Helping teens adjust to divorce and separation Excellent common-sense advice from this Australian charity
- Talking to your teen about divorce and separation
- Information about family mediation, custody and child arrangement orders
Video: how to support your child through divorce or separation
Read Lottie's story: learning to live as a family post divorce
A real-life story from Relate charity : learning to live as a family post-divorce
Try Relate's brilliant new AI tools to help you handle difficult conversations
These tools can help you write messages, gain insight into how your child might be feeling or respond to tricky communications with your ex-partner.
Support groups
- Gingerbread offer a wealth of support and you can access their groups. They can also help you start up your own group if there are not any in your area and if this is something you would be interested in.
- Families Need Fathers can also offer support to both parents. They have local branch meetings throughout the UK and online meetings too.
- Andy Man’s Club run support groups for men throughout the UK. This is for men, and they can talk about the storms affecting their lives in a safe, judgement-free, and non-clinical environment
For young people: coping when your parents are arguing, separating or divorcing
Remember that you can always talk to someone on a helpline or online chat, head over to our helpline page for all the options to see which one suits you best.
- My parents are always fighting, and I don’t have anyone to talk to
- 5 tips for looking after yourself if your parents are fighting
- Get help if you are worried about abuse in your family or if you don’t feel safe
- My parents/carers are getting a divorce or separating
- Struggling with family problems?
- Dealing with Divorce and separation. Find advice and support for young people on The Mix website
- Getting used to stepfamilies and second families
Will my parents or carers split up?
Video: Jack's story
Video: Jahmene's story of experiencing domestic abuse when he was growing up
When Jahméne was growing up, his father was physically and emotionally abusive towards him and his mother. Watch his story to find out what helped him cope