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Support for children

My 8-year-old keeps asking why we got divorced

CAhopeful_dawn1 month ago

Same question every few weeks for almost a year now. I've given my honest age-appropriate answer. He keeps asking. What's going on?

3 replies

member-0f26d91 month ago

We kept our answer short and the same every time: 'Mom and Dad both love you, and we're both still your parents.' Repeating the exact words seemed to help our youngest feel safe.

marisol_v1 month ago

Our therapist said this is one of the most normal things at this age. They're still trying to make sense of it. The repetition isn't because your answer was wrong — it's because they're processing in chunks they can handle. Keep giving the same calm, true, age-appropriate answer. Eventually the question changes.

Lawma Moderator1 month ago

Sesame Workshop's 'Divorce' toolkit (sesameworkshop.org) and 'Two Homes' by Claire Masurel are commonly recommended resources for ages 3-8. Free or library copies usually available.

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Around the case

Other things people in your situation usually need to handle. Some are paid partners; some are free community resources — labeled clearly.

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Sesame Workshop — Divorce toolkit

Talking-to-kids resources · Free

Free professional toolkit for explaining family changes to young kids — videos, conversation starters, printable activity sheets.

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Please readThis is a community space for sharing personal experience — it is not legal advice, and posts here are not from Lawma or your attorney. We strongly encourage you to post under an anonymous handle, keep questions general, and avoid posting private details of your active case. For advice about your own situation, message your attorney.