Your life will change a lot when you separate or get a divorce. Your kids will be worried about these changes.  Even though there are a lot of changes, you are still a family, just a different kind.  You need to focus on two things that will never change:

• Divorce doesn’t mean you lose your family.
• Divorce doesn’t mean you lose your parents.

You will need to tell your children these things. Hearing this will help them adjust to the changes.

NOTE: Shared parenting can be hard when one parent is dealing with anger issues, substance abuse, or other serious problems that are bad for your children. But, in almost all cases, that parent still loves the children and will still be a big part of the child’s life. Reach out to community resources for help in coping with these issues, keeping a good relationship between the child and the other parent, and staying safe.