Emotional Needs of Children…
13 Things Kids Want Parents to Know…
- We need to know you love us, will protect us, and won’t leave us.
- Help us get organized for going back and forth. Be patient.
- Listen to our questions and opinions even if you don’t agree.
- Accept that we need a lot of time to adjust, even when we don’t show it.
- Keep your conflicts and dislike of each other out of sight and earshot.
- Keep us out of the middle of your problems. We are just kids.
- Don’t ask us to spy, pass messages, or listen to you put-down the other parent.
- Give us a chance to talk with kids who are also going through this experience.
- Help us express and learn how to manage our feelings.
- Give us space and time to grieve the loss of our old life at our own pace.
- Confide in people your own age. We are not your substitute spouse or friend.
- Tell us we aren’t to blame for your problems. We can’t fix them either.
- Show us it’s okay to love and want to be with both of you.
- Please remember that I want both of you to be a part of my life. I count on both of you to raise me, teach me what is important, and help me when I have problems.
- Please stop fighting in front of me or where I can hear you. When you fight about me, I think that I did something wrong and I feel guilty
- Please say only nice things about my other parent, or don’t say anything at all. When you say mean things about my other parent, I feel like you are putting me down and expecting me to take your side.
- I want to love you both and enjoy the time that I spend with each of you. If you act jealous or upset, I feel like I need to take sides and love one of you more than the other. Please support me and the time that I spend with each of you.
