How to Cope with Divorce As a Child

Dealing with Your Feelings

Express your feelings however you need to. Coping with your parent’s divorce brings up many feelings. It is perfectly normal to feel hurt, upset, angry, sad, or confused. Plus, these emotions may change from day to day. Everyone goes through a wide range of emotions during this time. Don’t judge yourself or think that something is wrong with you. There is no right or wrong way to feel. You can cry, shout, holler, go silent, etc., as you see fit. Your feelings are real and you need to express them in your own way. If anyone tells you to "man up" or to "grow up", realize such advice is wrong, even if meant well. It is perfectly okay for you to cry, scream into a pillow, or punch your bed if it is your way of letting out your emotions and frustrations.

Avoid unhealthy coping. Make sure to choose healthy coping strategies. You may be tempted to act out in inappropriate ways, such as stealing, fighting, or using drugs and alcohol. But this will not change the reality--these behaviors will only make things worse for you. Be sure to call a friend, go for a walk, or write in your journal instead of engaging in unhealthy activities.

Confide in someone you trust. Talking to someone else can be a great way to express how you feel about the divorce. You may go to a best friend, a sibling, another adult family member, a teacher, or a school counselor. Choose someone who is a good listener and is supportive of your needs. You might start the conversation off by saying, “My parents are getting a divorce and I don’t know what to think.” Don’t worry if you don’t know what else to say. Just focus on opening up and expressing your feelings as they come.

Talk to kids with divorced parents. What better way to get your feelings out and be heard by someone who understands what you’re going through? If you have a friend or classmate whose parents have gone through a divorce, seek them out. They were new to this thing once, just like you are now. They may have some advice on how to cope with all the new changes. Say something along the lines of, “Hey, Craig, I know your parents broke up last year. Mine are going through a divorce now. How did you deal with all this?”

Express your feelings in a constructive way. You might write poetry, songs, stories, or entries in your journal as an outlet for your feelings. You can also use other creative activities to deal you’re your emotions, like painting, drawing, dancing, listening to music, playing with your dog or playing sports. Dedicate at least 30 minutes each day to a constructive activity.

Don’t blame yourself. For whatever reason, your parents made this decision, not you. It is not your fault! It was an issue between your parents that caused the divorce, not you or your siblings. The decision is about their own relationship with each other and a belief that they can no longer get along as a couple. Remember, they will always be your parents, no matter if they are married or not. Don’t try to figure out what happened, and know that you can’t undo it. Instead, focusing on coping with the divorce.

Adjusting to Changes

Ask your parents questions. The aftermath of a divorce involves many changes. Your family may move to a new home or a new city. You may have to divide your time between households, or even go to a new school. Once you have gotten control of your emotions, try to sit down with your parents and ask them about the details. For example, you might say, “Where will I live?” or “Who will I live with?” to bring up the topic.

Share your feelings with your parents. Although the final decision is ultimately up to your parents, feel free to respectfully voice your concerns if you are worried about changing schools, leaving behind your friends, or any other changes. Don’t feel like you are adding to the burden by venting to your parents. They will likely be happy you spoke up. Express your worries by saying, “I’m unhappy about having to change schools. I will miss my team, my teachers, and my friends. Can I come back on weekends to see my friends?” Don't bottle up your emotions. Doing this can lead to emotional outbursts, and even make you sick. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your parents, you can still share your feelings by writing them a letter.

Tell your parents you want to stay out of the bickering. Don’t take sides during your parent's divorce. Your parents may have bitter feelings about one another, but that shouldn’t rub off on you. Even if you happen to hear about one parent’s wrongdoing, try to withhold any judgment. There are a lot of issues between your parents that caused the divorce. It won’t do you any good to throw the blame on one parent. If your parents try to pit you against one another, tell them “I won’t be taking sides.” Keep saying this until they get the message. Remember, your role is to cope with the divorce, not to resolve disputes between your parents. Your parents will get the support they need to resolve disputes from other adults.

Remember that your parents still love you. A divorce can bring out a lot of ugly actions and words between your parents. If they are distant or upset, recognize that they are trying to deal with their own feelings and cope with the marriage ending. Just because they may not love one another anymore doesn’t mean they don’t love you.

Focus on the positives. It may seem illogical, but sometimes there is a silver lining in a divorce. Some kids may actually feel relieved that the marriage is ending, especially if your parents fought a lot. You might also like the idea of having two homes, establishing new traditions, or being able to have separate time with each of your parents. Looking for the positives in the situation can help you maintain perspective and not get lost in your grief.

Anticipate even more changes in the future. In the weeks and months after the initial breakup, many other changes may happen. Your parents may have to go to court to determine who you will live with. You may also notice financial strain in which your parents don’t have as much extra money for you to go to the movies or for pizza with friends. Another possible change is the introduction of new people in your family, such as a stepmom, stepdad, or even a new baby. Try to be understanding of these changes. Things may be very tense now, but they probably won’t always be this way. Resist the urge to automatically dislike your parents’ new partners. You don’t have to view this person as a parent, and they won’t replace your other parent. But, you can be open-minded and try to get to know them.

Living Your Life After the Divorce

Try to balance your time with both parents. If you’re an older child, your parents may give you some say in how you divide your time between them, particularly if they each live nearby. Do your best to be fair about the amount of time you spend with each parent. For instance, if you’re away on vacation with one parent, be sure to call and check in with the other. This helps each of your parents feel loved and maintains your connection with them both. It’s also a great idea to keep both parents in the loop about what’s happening in your life. One parent may be in the dark about academic or extracurricular achievements. Be sure to call them up and tell them when something happens, good or bad.

Stay involved in extracurricular activities. The stress of your parent’s divorce may have caused you to rethink your extracurriculars, but you shouldn’t. Playing sports, participating in clubs, and being involved at your school is an important part of your identity. Sticking with these activities can help you cope with other changes and give you something constructive to do. Divorces can be hectic, but try to keep the same schedule. If you need to change your schedule, work with your parents to make your new schedule as similar to your old one as possible. You should also keep participating in any birthday parties or sleepovers you are invited to.

Make time for hobbies. Having something fun to do in your free time will keep your mind occupied and fight stress. Pick up an old hobby or explore a new one. A hobby can be anything that is positive and constructive. Try doing puzzles, gardening, riding horses, swimming, or volunteering with shelter animals.

Spend time with good friends. Even if you had to move, it’s important for you to stay connected with your peer group. Ask your parents if you can meet up with your friends after school or on weekends. You might even schedule video calls via Skype or Hangouts to see your old friends more often.

See a therapist. Coping with your feelings after a divorce is a major hurdle. You may find yourself still struggling months or years afterwards. If you continue to have trouble getting used to the new arrangements, ask your parents if you can see a counselor. You might talk to the counselor at your school or ask a peer who has dealt with divorce for a recommendation.