About Divorce
What is marriage?
When two people decide to become husband and wife.
True or false: Children must pick sides and love one parent more than the other.
False: Children don't have to pick sides; they can love both of their parents.
Sad: unhappy or upset
explain if/why you feel that way
Is it up to children to decide which parent to live with?
No. Deciding where children should live is too big of a decision for children to make. Parents will sort this out or they will get help from a lawyer, mediator, or judge.
What is divorce?
When a husband and wife decide they no longer want to be married.
What can children do or say when their parents argue in front of them?
You can say, "It upsets me when you argue, please stop." Or, you can leave the room and say to yourself, "Even when my parents argue, they still love me."
Nervous: Thinking something bad is going to happen
Describe if/why you feel that way
Is it okay for children to play and have fun even while their parents are unhappy about the divorce?
Yes. Children can still be happy and have fun while their parents are solving their problems. Besides, it may help parents feel better if they see that their children are happy.
What is one reason parents divorce?
Some reasons are: They were fighting a lot and couldn't make up; they couldn't fix their problems; they weren't happy being together anymore; they fell in love with someone else; they stopped being involve.
True or false: If a parent has to change their visitation week it means they don't want to spend time with the child.
False: When a parent misses visits, it is because that parent has scheduling issues that have nothing to do with their child. That parent still loves their child very much.
Relieved: no longer worried about something
Describe if/when you have felt that way
Howlong does it take for children to stop feeling sad about their parens' divorce?
Not as long as you think. But talking about feelings is a good way to get the sadness out and begin to feel better.
True or false: Children often feel uncomfortable talking about divorce.
True: It can be hard to talk about sad things like divorce, but talking about it is a good way to get the feelings out.
True or false: If a parent says mean things about the other parent to the child, the child should agree with them.
False: A better way to handle this is for the child to say, "It upsets me when you say mean things about each other. Please stop."
Shocked: don't expect something to happen
Describe if/when you felt that way
What is custody?
Custody is a legal word for the parent in charge of taking care of the children and making big decisions like where the children will live and go to school. Joint custody is when both parents agree that they will share in all the responsibilities and decisions about the children.
True or False: Once parents divorce they hardly ever get back together.
True or false: If a child doesn't like the person his or her parent is dating, he or she should be mean to him or her.
False: It is normal for children to be upset when their parent starts dating, but even if the child doesn't like the person, it is not okay to be mean to him or her. It is better for children to talk to their parent about their feelings.
Loved: feeling cared for
Describe if/when you have felt that way.
If parents stop loving each other, will they stop loving their children too?
No. Even when parents divorce and stop loving each other, they still love their children no matter what!