How to talk to kids when going through a divorce

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Close to 50% of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce.

No matter the circumstances, the process is challenging for many couples from start to finish. The situation gets even more difficult if kids are involved.

Vannesa Enos, a licensed mental health counselor with Community Health Network, says there are ways couples can better navigate their separation when they have young children.

“Leading up to a divorce, there have probably been some arguments in the home or some heated arguments in the home. And kids witness that–even young kids–and they can feel the impact of that anxiety. No matter what age kids you’re talking to, you need to talk to them at their own level,” Enos said. “So, a toddler…a two- to five-year-old doesn’t have a lot of vast understanding or insight into what’s going on. They just know things don’t feel good.”

Enos says the most difficult thing for kids is the unpredictability that follows a divorce. All of the changes can make them on edge and they become stressed. So, according to Enos, it’s best that parents create a sense of structure and routine the best they can. This, she says, will lower their anxiety.