Your child is now an adult. That means they will have more understanding about what it means to go through a divorce. However, when you tell them about your divorce, they may still have a strong emotional reaction to what’s happening.
Here is how you can prepare to talk about divorce with your adult child:
Consider what you want to say and how you want to say it
How you talk about your divorce can still impact your child as an adult. You and your spouse may have always discussed the important things as a team with your child. If so, they might expect you to do the same now. If this is no longer possible, be sure to avoid “airing your dirty laundry.” It is already a hard enough time for your adult child. They don’t need to know the intimate details of what went wrong or hear their parents making personal attacks on each other.
Expect detailed questions from adult children
Adult children will have different questions about the future than young ones. For example:
- Will you still come to see the grandkids?
- Will you sit next to each other at their wedding?
- How will Thanksgiving and Christmas work?
- Will you still be able to loan them that house deposit you promised?
- How far will they have to travel to care for you in your old age?
In the end, you are still parents in your child’s eyes. If you are planning a divorce, you may need an attorney who can help you answer the questions your children will have.
