Helping Teens Understand Divorce

As mentioned in a previous article, teens often have a hard time coping with divorce. Even the most intelligent, mature teenager can take a divorce personally, either blaming him or herself for the breakup of the marriage, or feeling that his or her actions contributed to the end of the marriage. Of course, as an adult and a loving parent, you know that this is not true at all. But your child may still be dealing with some latent feelings of guilt and confusion. Naturally, you want to help your teen get past these feelings. But what can you do?

Talk to Your Teen

The first step to helping your teen overcome any feelings of guilt he or she may have is to discuss the situation with him or her. Children appreciate open communication and honest expression from their parents. Teenagers especially want to feel involved in family discussion and be treated like adults, so an honest, up-front discussion about the realities of the divorce can go a long way towards helping them understand the situation. Make sure they know that the divorce happened because of you and your former spouse, not because of the children.

Be Honest

Your teenager knows that his or her life is going to change dramatically following the divorce. Don’t patronize them by telling them something they know isn’t true.

Contact Us

If you or someone you love has teenage kids and is going through a divorce, contact the West Palm Beach divorce lawyers of Eric N. Klein & Associates, P.A. by calling 561-353-2800 today for more information on dealing with this issue.