Teenagers feel emotions more intensely, be it sadness, anger, guilt, confusion and so on. That’s why they are more likely to engage in disruptive/risky behaviors after experiencing parental divorce
Nonetheless, you can help your teen cope with divorce. Here is how you can do this:
Have an open discussion with them
Once you and your spouse decide to get a divorce, you should inform your teen. A divorce conversation with a teenager should be different from how you would have handled it with younger kids. Teens understand divorce more. Hence, they may have many questions and concerns. Be prepared to provide adequate information, answer questions and acknowledge their concerns.
Further, like talking to a child of any age, inform your teen that the divorce is not their fault and both of you will always love them.
Listen to them
After the initial conversation, your teen should know they can come to you when they need to talk. However, most teenagers prefer being given space and time. They will talk to you when they are ready to. Thus, do not push your child into talking. But when they come to you, give them undivided attention.
Involve them in your decisions
While you don’t have to make all divorce-related decisions based on your teen’s preferences, you can allow them to weigh in on some, particularly those that will affect their lives, such as moving, changing schools and so on. When they feel involved in decisions, they may be more willing to cooperate with you in their new life.
Divorce can have major effects on a teenager. It’s vital to help your child cope during this rough time to ensure they adjust to their new life smoothly.