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Challenge: Life Changes

Getting Through The "D" Word With Your Family Intact

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If you believe that the clock is ticking on your marriage, you will definitely need some grounding in your life. Both to keep you grounded emotionally, and to set the foundation for your children's future, you need to make your family your priority right now.

Losing your marriage is one thing, but you need to do everything in your power to solidify your family unit and protect your children.

When this is your priority consider the following tips to help you throughout your divorce.

Start With Counseling

The mental and emotional state that you carry throughout the divorce will carry out in your family life one way or another. To keep it together for your children, you will first need to keep it together for yourselves.

Before it's all said and done for your marriage, you might want to call up a counselor that can help you vent all of your pain and frustration with each other. Get everything out on the table so that your next move comes having tried everything possible to get the marriage to work.

Giving it this one last chance will either help you find closure or a reconciliation. Either way, an impartial counselor is what you need.

Couple's counseling aside, look into some therapy so that you can get through this process with your mental health intact. Getting individual therapy can cost between $75 and $150 per session.

Have Some Honest Conversations With Your Children

When you speak to your children, make honest your top priority.

You can explain what's going on to your kids in a way that clues them in on the most pertinent information, while shielding them from things that can confuse or scar them.

When the two of you know you're getting divorced, take some time to officially tell the kids together. Allow them to vent any emotion or frustration, and open the floor for questions. Having this talk with your kids will let everyone get onto the healing process, while also taking steps toward getting on the same page with the other parent.

Never bad mouth each other to or around your kids, and begin to get business like with all things regarding the children.

Handle Your Legal Business

Once you have set this foundation, do what you can to handle your legal matters during the divorce.

Speak to some divorce attorneys to get legal advice, and open the floor for negotiation. Try your best to resolve with each other that you have as pain free a divorce as possible, putting the kids first, and leaving personal issues out of it.

When you follow these tips, you'll be better able to get the divorce that you need while protecting your family.

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