Families Change
Teen Guide to Separation & Divorce

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Getting on with Your Life

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Your parents' separation or divorce will bring lots of changes to your life. Change is part of life, but it's not always easy to get used to.

Some changes will be easier to handle than others. You might find that some changes actually make your life better:

  • If there was a lot of tension and fighting between your parents, you might be glad that’s over.
  • You might get to spend more time with one or both of your parents than you did before. And you might get to know them better and become closer.
  • Your parents might be happier now that they aren't together anymore. They might be more fun to be with.

Other changes might take longer to get used to. But they will probably feel better with time.

Be patient with yourself. It takes time to get used to big changes in your life.

And give yourself a break. Take time for yourself:

  • see your friends
  • do the things you like to do
  • get lots of exercise
  • read a book
  • play an instrument

This doesn't mean you should run away from your problems or stop spending time at home; it just means taking time for every day to enjoy your life. Taking care of yourself will make it easier for you to cope with what's happening in your family and to get on with your life!

(For more tips on taking care of yourself, see Feeling Better.)