Hey Olivia, My Ex Wants to Tell the Kids the Divorce Is My Fault. How Do I Stop Him?
About this episode
Olivia Howell provides guidance on how to communicate about divorce to children when faced with a co-parent who wants to assign blame.
How do you tell your kids you're getting divorced when your co-parent wants to blame you for it? In this solo "Hey Olivia" episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia Howell answers a letter from a mom whose ex plans to tell their five- and seven-year-old that Mommy broke up the family — and who yells every time she tries to talk about doing it differently. If you're terrified of how the other parent might frame your divorce in front of the kids, this one is for you. Olivia explains why telling young children that one parent "broke up the family" is genuinely harmful, then walks through a calm, doable plan for telling kids about divorce in a high-conflict co-parenting situation: how to ask for a neutral third party in the room, the non-accusatory request to put in writing first, the simple and united words to say to your kids, and what to do if your co-parent says something hurtful anyway. The heart of it: you may not be able to control what your ex says, but you are never powerless — and being the steady, safe parent is more powerful than winning any single moment. IN THIS EPISODE: Why "breaking up the family" language harms kids — the developmental reason it sticks The simple, united…
Topics covered
- co-parenting
- divorce communication
- child psychology
- high-conflict situations
- parenting strategies
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