July is National Child-Centered Divorce Month. Thinking about your kids if you’re going through a divorce doesn’t mean staying together for their sake. It just means you’re considering their feelings and emotions while making choices.

If you’re getting a divorce, take the time to sit down together with your kids and explain the decision whenever possible. Presenting a unified front, even at this difficult time, is important for your family.

Put yourself in your children’s shoes and validate their feelings while handling a divorce. They have a right to have feelings about the situation and to express them.

Remind your kids that they’re not at fault or a cause of the divorce, and reassure them at each step that mom and dad will always be their parents.
Don’t ask them to take sides or put them in the middle of arguments. Make sure they feel comfortable loving both of you and talking about it.

Focus on change and not blame. Help them understand the changes that are coming to all of your lives and how you’ll work through it together.

Be confident and consistent when discussing the divorce with them. You should both decide on how you’ll handle issues with the kids upfront and be ready to communicate with them about these issues consistently.
