If you and your spouse have been struggling to keep your marriage together and finally decided that doing so is no longer possible, you now have to decide how to let others know of your choice and the changes that will be ensuing. For parents of children who are three, four or even five years old, this requires a good understanding of your child’s developmental as well as individual personality needs.
As explained by Today’s Parent, a preschool-aged child will have a limited ability to completely grasp the magnitude of a divorce. They will not understand, nor do they need to understand, the challenges you are facing at this time. Instead, their focus will be on the practicalities of their day-to-day lives. When you talk with your youngster about your divorce, it will be important for you to reassure them what they will experience every day. This entails who will read them a bedtime story, who will take them to school and pick them up and other similar things.
It is also important that you remain prepared to have multiple conversations with your preschooler about the changes happening. You will even likely have to repeat many things as this helps young minds remember facts. Maintaining consistency when and where possible will also help your child adjust.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give separated and divorcing parents of preschoolers in Michigan some tips on how they can help their young children through the process of adjusting to the parental split.