Whether you're 5 or 25, the announcement that your parents are divorcing can be met with a variety of emotions. But with the divorce rate hovering around 50 percent of all marriages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the idea of your parents enduring a divorce may become a reality. When your parents are dealing with a tumultuous chapter of their relationship, it's important that you care for yourself and get the support that you need to effectively deal with a parent's divorce.
Step 1
Engage in a frank discussion with your parents, asking that they respect your wishes to stay neutral throughout the divorce proceedings. KidsHealth.org, a division of the Nemours Foundation notes that it's natural to feel closer to one parent, but inserting yourself into the divorce can only complicate matters.
Step 2
Spend time taking part in activities that take your mind off of the divorce. Whether you like to hang out with friends, play a sport or spend more time at school, it's important to remember that the divorce is about your parents and not you, says Dominican College in Orangeburg, New York. Engaging yourself in regular activities can bring some much-needed normalcy into your life as you deal with the divorce.
Step 3
Discuss the various changes that may take place when the divorce becomes final with your parents, suggests the Center for Young Women's Health of Children's Hospital Boston. Ask about the changes in location. living situation, holidays and employment to help you mentally and physically prepare for the difference that divorce will make in your family life.
Step 4
Make the arrangements necessary for your changing life based upon the decisions you've made with your parents. When you're younger, it will likely entail choosing what parent you'll live with, transferring student records and arranging holidays and visitation. As an older teen or adult, you'll need to arrange how you'll spend holidays and include your parents in your own family's life in a separate way. If you have siblings, it's a good time to include them in your plans for the future.
Step 5
Join a support group, visit a counselor or talk to an understanding friend about your parent's divorce. Instead of shouldering the burden of your parent's divorce alone, talking to someone who cares can help vent your frustrations, anger and guilt says the Counseling Center at the University of Illinois.
