One of the questions your kid(s) will have upon learning about your divorce is where they will live. Before custody decisions are finalized, you can tell them you don’t have adequate information yet. But once you have a schedule, you should inform them sooner.
Here are three tips you can employ during your discussion:
Have a united front
Chances are you or your co-parent may have reservations about some elements of the custody or visitation schedule. Regardless of how you feel, it can be beneficial if you present a united front. You can do this by holding the conversation together and planning what to say. Your kids should know you both love them and will enjoy spending time with them.
Use kid-friendly language
When explaining custody, consider using simple or kid-friendly terms. Thus, instead of joint custody, you can say that both of you will be involved in and responsible for making major decisions in their lives. You can also replace visit with come over/stay with, and so forth.
Basically, ensure your kids understand how you and the other parent will work together, where they will be on particular days and how they will move between the two homes.
Inform them of things that won’t change
Discussing custody with your children can be overwhelming because you will mainly talk about how their lives are going to change. Therefore, it can also be beneficial to give attention to things that won’t change.
Let your children know the routines that will remain the same – they will still watch their favorite movie on Friday or eat spaghetti and meatballs on Tuesday.
Holding a conversation about custody matters with your kids is necessary. Obtain more information on how you and your co-parent can create a reliable custody schedule and present it to your kids seamlessly.
