Additional ideas about effective parenting and helping children deal with their feelings can be found in other publications in this series, Principles Of Parenting. While children are learning to cope with the divorce, it may be better to delay making any other changes such as moving, changing schools, or changing babysitters. Parents should work with the children's teachers and others who are in close contact so that everyone can help the children learn to feel safe and to express feelings about the divorce. Children can and do adjust to divorce. It often takes about two years to recover.
Parents can help children deal with their feelings of sadness, anger, fear, and guilt.
Here is a list to help you help your children. Mark the items you have already discussed with your children and that they seem to be comfortable with. Then complete the other items, and mark them off as you go. Everything may not need to be said at one time. If you continue to bring up these topics for discussion at appropriate times, your children will get the message that it's okay to talk about what's bothering them.