Parenting through divorce: How to help your child navigate anxiety and stress

I had a great conversation with the wonderful team at Family Mediation and Mentoring about how we can support parents as they do the difficult work of guiding their children through their divorce.

As experienced mediators, Claire and Rachael are experts at helping parents dial down the conflict and focus in on what really matters - the well being of their children. We are passionate about a child centred approach to divorce and the co-parenting that will be form part of their lives as they move forward.

Divorce is stressful for kids, all kids. It’s a crisis in a family and it’s not at all surprising that it causes deep emotional reactions including anxiety.  Here are my thoughts on how we can help:



It’s completely natural for the children of divorcing parents to feel anxious. Divorce is a process of huge family adjustment and change which is unfortunately so often accompanied by conflict. Uncertainty with the need to transition and change can be unsettling for even the most resilient child. For children who are more temperamentally disposed to feel worried or anxious, or for those who are already struggling, the process of divorce may exacerbate these feelings. For other children the change in the dynamics of their relationships, the practical adjustments such as getting used to two homes or the conflict they witness may cause them to feel fearful, anxious, and worried. 

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