Esther Marshall
Family & Divorce
Free Parenting Guide for Separating Families
Thanks to family justice organisation, Resolution, we are able to offer a free ‘Parenting Through Separation Guide’ during Good Divorce Week.
Good Divorce Week is taking place between 29 November – 3 December. It is an annual campaign run by Resolution that aims to promote practical and constructive ways for separating parents to put the needs of their children first.
The guide is available to any parent seeking help during their separation. It contains all sorts of helpful advice about how to co-parent with a former partner, background on the common disputes that arise between separating parents, and how to talk to children about the painful topic of divorce or separation, plus much more.
You can find the guide here.
Here’s an extract of advice contained within the guide:
Top tips for discussing divorce with your children
- If your situation allows, try to have a joint conversation when all of your children are present. Keep this age appropriate.
- Plan a series of conversations, including different follow up conversations, if your children are different ages. Be mindful that their reactions will depend on their age, developmental stage and their individual personality.
- Reassure your children that it is okay to feel sad or scared and showing emotion is good. They can always talk to either of you and ask questions.
- Remember you are a role model and your children are watching how you manage this situation. If they see that you are still their parents, making decisions together about them, then they will cope better.
Sally Ward, Head of Family Law at Mullis & Peake LLP, said:
“We know that the pandemic has put huge pressure on families and even more so on those who are separating. Every parent wants to put their children’s interests front and centre, but all too often they don’t know where to turn for help and aren’t given the support they need in order to do this.
“It’s important for parents to have access to good, authoritative and professional advice that helps them to parent responsibly through their separation. We hope all local separating parents will use the Parenting Through Separation Guide, to help them find a better way forward for them, and for their children.”