Your kids might be too scared to talk about being worried. They may try to hide their feelings about your break up. You can help by talking to them about their rights and responsibilities. Talking about this will let them know that:
It is really important that your kids know these things. It is especially important that you tell them how much you love them.
Review the “Rights & Responsibilities” in the Kids’ Guide and the Teen Guide before you talk to your children about this. This will help you get ready to talk to your children.
Children of all ages have the right to:
Children have a responsibility to:
Your children’s rights relate directly to your responsibilities as a parent. Choose to protect, not violate, your children’s rights. For example, if you say bad things about the other parent in front of your child, you are ignoring your child’s right to not hear those things.
Knowing about all of these rights and responsibilities is a good first step. You might make mistakes along the way. That’s OK; just keeping trying!
Read “How do I stay focused on the important things?” for information and tips about keeping your own feelings separate from your responsibilities as a parent.