Most children have a 'secret mission' to reunite their parents. If they are asked, they will usually prefer the parents to stay together instead of getting a divorce. This is still the case when the marriage has been very difficult. Children are extremely loyal to their parents. They will often deny and hide their own feelings.
Many children feel guilty when their parents divorce.
They think that if they had just behaved better or done better in school, it would not have happened. It is important to explain to a child that they did not cause the divorce. A child needs to know that the divorce is a result of the parents not being able to work things out. Children often experience a conflict of loyalty. When they are with one parent, they feel guilty about not being with the other, and vice versa.