Kids & Their Feelings

Divorces can leave children with complex feelings; confusion, worry and even relief. Helping your child to digest and understand their emotions early can prevent them from having ongoing complex emotions.

It’s important therefore to listen to your child and validate their feelings, reminding them that they are entitled to feel any emotion during this period of change. It is important to focus on validating your child and their emotions rather than questioning them and attempting to solve their problems. 

In order to encourage healthy conversations between yourself and your child regarding emotions it is important that you demonstrate a healthy relationship with your own emotions. 

To do so begin by stating how you feel and follow by normalising that. This can be done by saying “I feel sad and it’s OK to feel sad”. Doing so explains to your child that acknowledging your emotions is normal and that there is no correct way for them to be feeling in this trying time.