Kerry and Palmer wrap up this module with a clear, practical guide to help you support your child’s emotional wellbeing through divorce. These do’s and don’ts are simple, powerful reminders for everyday parenting.
✅ Do’s – What Helps:
- Name the grief out loud
- Check in regularly
- Validate hard emotions
- Tend to your own emotional health
- Look beneath behavior
“This feels like a big loss” helps your child feel seen and validates their emotions.
Healing requires ongoing connection—not a one-time conversation.
Say things like “It makes sense that you feel that way.” Validation doesn’t mean agreement—it means understanding.
Your healing makes you more available to support theirs.
Behavior is often a cry for help. Approach it with curiosity, not judgment.
❌ Don’ts – What to Avoid:
- Don’t say “you’ll get used to it” or “everything’s fine”
- Don’t assume silence means they’re okay
- Don’t rush their grief
- Don’t use logic to explain away feelings
- Don’t ignore your own grief
These shut down emotions instead of helping process them.
Many kids hide feelings to protect you. Keep gently checking in.
Their emotional timeline may move slower than yours—and that’s normal.
Kids don’t need explanations—they need empathy and comfort.
Unprocessed emotions can leak into your parenting and model avoidance.
By practicing these do’s and don’ts consistently, you create an emotionally safe environment where your child can feel, heal, and grow.