Between filing, obtaining an attorney, dividing assets, arranging shared custody, and all the usual encumbrances of divorce, you may find it easy not to have the energy to think about explaining this process to your children. We get it; you’re still probably trying to sort out your own emotions.
Never the less, your children need to have the tools and education to cope with this process. Luckily for you, you don’t need to do it by yourself. Many interactive tools can educate your child as to what a divorce entails for them and the family. You can find a few here: https://www.utcourts.gov/specproj/dived/.
We will be specifically talking about Children’s Divorce Education Classes. So, what are they? As previously stated, children need support getting through a divorce, just as much as you do. These classes are available for children ages 9 to 12 and are offered free of charge. The children can expect a program by mental health professionals to provide them with the skills they can use to communicate their feelings to their parents better. Hopefully, mitigating some of the adverse effects on them.
These classes are divided into two courses: Orientation and Education.
Values Included in the Orientation Course:
- Resources to improve or strengthen the marriage.
- Resources to resolve custody and support issues without filing for divorce.
- The positive and negative consequences of divorce.
- Procedural options in a divorce, including mediation, collaborative law, and litigation.
- The divorce process.
- Post-divorce resources.
Values Included in the Orientation Course:
- Grieving stages are common to divorce.
- How children experience divorce. What to expect from a child based on the child’s developmental age, and how to help a child adjust to the divorce.
- Helpful ways to communicate with a child about the divorce. What children need to know and what they don’t need to know.
- Parental behavior that promotes good self-esteem in children. Encouraging and supporting the expression of your child’s feelings.
- How and why the conflict between parents creates stress for children. How to decrease the conflict children are exposed to.
- Why children need continued and meaningful relationships with both parents during and after a divorce. Helpful ways to share parenting responsibilities and encourage cooperative behavior with both parents.
- The financial and legal aspects of divorce.
Most of these classes are also offered online. A full Education class can be finished in just a few hours. So, stop struggling quietly, let your children cope too. Talk to your attorney to find out which class would be best for your children.
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