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Divorce/separation

Here you'll find divorce help and support from other Mners. For legal advice, you may find Advice Now guides useful.

How to explain divorce to 5 year old

2 replies

Jokie · 29/06/2021 12:28

Hi all, I've searched online and read a dozen articles already about how to tell a young child about divorce. Does anyone have any tips?

Child is extremely factual, and I know we'll do it together and be honest and reiterate that we love them unconditionally but wondered if there are statements to avoid?

Anyone have any ideas?

OP posts:
PicaK · 29/06/2021 17:11

Not loads of experience - but I've also adopted and a lot of the training I had about telling child their life story with age appropriate language is very similar

Vocab they can understand. Which is mostly brutal in its sheer honesty. And very grounded in facts.
We don't want to live in the same house together any more.
You can bring/take special bunny from house to house.
You will have a bed at both houses.
I think you've got this though.
Also this won't be the only conversation you have. Be prepared to talk about it a lot and whenever they ask.
Be prepared to help them decide how they feel - name their emotions and take it. They have a right to be sad, angry or absolutely nonchalant in that moment.
And the conversation will expand and details will fill in as they grow older and understand more.
Involve school now. They might be able to get you early help involvement.

Jokie · 30/06/2021 12:56

Thanks @PicaK. That's really helpful advice. I don't think she really understands but we kept saying and using the facts that we knew right now (there's still a few things that are uncertain)

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