Divorce is a difficult and life-changing event that can affect your entire family. Whether you are a parent or not, it can be hard to know how to deal with the aftermath of this situation. To make sure everyone in your family can heal from this as quickly as possible, here are 4 tips on how you can help them through their divorce.
Have an open and honest discussion.
When you hear the news of your parents’ divorce (or any other family member’s for that matter) it can be shocking to know what to say or do. There is a lot of information flying around and the potential for misinformation so take some time and have a serious conversation with them about what will happen moving forward. By opening up this line of communication, everyone who is affected by the divorce can become more comfortable and start feeling like themselves again.
Reassure them that they are not alone in their feelings.
While having this conversation might seem scary at first, one beneficial side-effect is that you get to learn just how many people truly feel exactly how your loved one does about the divorce. This can be incredibly reassuring for them, as it lets them know that they are not the only ones feeling this way and that they have a support system.
Give them some time and space.
After getting the news of a loved one’s divorce, it is understandable for someone to need some time and space to themselves to process everything. It might be tempting to bombard them with questions or advice but try to resist doing so until they are ready to talk about it. By respecting their boundaries, you are letting them know that you care about their feelings and want them to feel comfortable coming to you when they are ready.
Let them know that you love them no matter what.
The most important thing to remember while someone is going through a divorce is to let them know that you love and support them. This can also be one of the hardest things to do because it can be difficult for your loved ones to see beyond their pain to realize how many people truly care about them. Even though they feel like they are at rock bottom, they still deserve love and support from everyone around them even more than ever before.