St. Louis County Office 121 West Monroe Ave.
Kirkwood, MO 63122
St. Charles County Office 1847 Sherman Drive
St. Charles, MO 63303
DIVORCE HURTS. Kids In The Middle HELPS.®
Do's and Don'ts for Parents
Preparing for a separation or divorce can be difficult on parents. There are a wide variety of expectations placed on parents with respect to how they treat their children during the process. Questions often come up about how much should be discussed with children, and to what degree they should be involved in the interactions between spouses. We offer a list of "Do's and Don'ts" for parents to learn what they should and should not do with their children with respect to the family transition.
DO...
DON'T...
Allow children to openly express their own feelings.
Assess blame. Children shouldn't be taking sides.
Listen to your children and validate their feelings.
Talk negatively about the other parent.
Let children know about changes such as visitation, moving, new school, etc.
Overburden your children with emotional or financial concerns.
Reassure your children that the divorce was not their fault.
Use children as message carriers to the other parent.
Emphasize the finality of the divorce.
Make your child your confidant - remain the adult and parent.
Spend quality time with each child.
Allow your children to put themselves in the middle of adult conflicts.
Be consistent with rules, expectations and discipline.
Discourage your child's desire to have a relationship with the other parent or step-parent.
