Resources for Talking to Kids about Divorce
Explaining to kids what divorce is, and what their own parent’s divorce means for them can seem like an impossible task.
And I’m not saying that any of the many conversations you will likely need to have with your kids about this change in their lives will be easy, but there are lots of people and organisations out there working to provide resources to help you and your kids navigate this time.
Children’s experiences of Divorce
This page from website “only mums” provides links to a whole lot of books aimed at kids, telling simple stories of kids living in separated families. Reading these stories together can help spark conversations between you and your kids about what divorce means for your family.
There is also a great Sesame Street page with lots of resources for kids and parents dealing with divorce.
Giving kids coping tools
Kids Helpline has lots of resources to help kids understand the emotions they might feel around separation, reassure them they are not alone, and offer support. This one is for kids 5-12 years, and this one is for teenagers.
Anglicare runs a special support program for kids struggling after separation, including counselling for them.
For families where family violence is an issue, this brochure can help older kids understand some of the dynamics.
Information for children about legal processes
If you are going through a Family Court process, depending on the age of your kids, you may need to talk to them about what is going on, and some older kids may be directly involved in meeting with family consultants or single expert witnesses. The Family Court of Australia has some resources on it website.
Legal Aid NSW has done some great videos for kids about what happens when your parents go to Court – one for under 10s and one for over 10s, focused on how to interact with the ICL.
If you have an Independent Children’s Lawyer involved in your case, the national body for ICLs has produced some information brochures directed at children.
There’s also this video explaining he role of the ICL to kids and answering some of their questions.
Resources for parents
The “Best for Kids” website has a section for parents. It is run by NSW Legal Aid, so not all of the legal information is relevant to parents in other states (eg AVOs are different in other states) , but it has good resources that mostly apply across Australia.
Kids Helpline also have a section for parents and they have a page specifically about family violence with explanations and advice. There are also links to parenting lines based in each state, where you can reach out for support if you need it.
