Acknowledging Your Adult Children’s Feelings About Your Divorce

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in DuPage County divorce lawyer

For many couples going through a divorce, their biggest worry is how it will affect their children. Most people think that the only children who will be affected by divorce are those who are still young and living with their parents. In reality, children of all ages can still feel the effects of their parents’ divorce, even when they are adults. When parents who have adult children get a divorce, it can be particularly difficult for the whole family, because these marriages have typically lasted for years, if not decades. If you have older children, and you are going through a divorce, it is important to be sensitive to their feelings and needs. Here are a few tips to follow to help your adult children during this family transition:

Tell All Your Children at the Same Time

Once you and your spouse have made the decision to end your marriage, it is usually best to tell all of your kids at the same time. You should schedule a specific time and place to inform your children together in a family meeting. It is never a good idea to confide in only one child first because it would be unfair to expect him or her to keep that secret until you are ready to tell everyone.

Acknowledge and Validate Their Feelings

One of the most important things you can do for your adult children during your divorce is to acknowledge their feelings and let them know that their emotions and thoughts are valid. In many cases, the way older children react to a divorce can be overlooked or deemed not as important as younger kids’ reactions.

Remind Them That You Are Still a Family

One of the big emotional issues that adult children of divorce face is the feeling that they have lost their “first family.” In some situations, older offspring might have a spouse and children of their own. Even though they have formed their own familial units, they may still grieve the loss of their childhood as they knew it. It is important to remind your older children that while you and your spouse are no longer married, you will always be a family.

Contact a DuPage County Divorce Attorney

It is no secret that a divorce can be stressful for the entire family, but what many people do not realize is that even adult children of the divorcing couple are affected by the end of their parents' marriage. Any divorce that takes place later in life can be devastating, but the transition can become even more difficult if you do not have help from a dedicated Aurora dissolution of marriage lawyer. At the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C., we can help you throughout the divorce process to make it as smooth as possible. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at 630-409-8184.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/24/fashion/weddings/never-too-old-to-hurt-from-parents-divorce.html

https://ifstudies.org/family-law-attorney/the-adult-children-of-divorce-find-their-voice