When parents divorce, children sometimes act out due to the emotional impact that a divorce has. They may become insecure, clingy or openly angry towards you or your former spouse. Mood swings and difficulty adjusting are completely normal, explains the Huffington Post.
While you may not be able to avoid the negative feelings attached to the divorce, you can make it easier for your children to adjust and to swallow the news of your divorce.
Stay amicable with what you say
Children do not need specific details on the divorce. Do not bring up the legal issues to your children or even around your children. If you must talk on the phone about the divorce, do it out of their earshot. Children are impressionable. If they hear how angry you are or how much you blame your spouse, it can isolate them. They may feel like you judge them too. Remember that they love your spouse too and you do not want them to feel torn between their parents.
Be a team when you have the discussion
If you can sit down with your ex-spouse and your children, then you ultimately should. Your children do not need two separate stories. They need you two to come together and offer one version of the story. Show that you are still united as their parents, even if you do not have that union as a couple. When your children ask questions, answer honestly and compassionately. They often want to know how it might affect their living situation and time with the two of you.
