How to help your child through this time 

• If the children do not live with you, you can use email, cards and letters, telephone, a shared journal and audio or video recordings to communicate with them

• Help your child find a way to express their feelings. For example, ask a young child to draw pictures of how they feel and talk about it afterwards

• Encourage your child to write letters about their feelings, the letters don’t have to be sent

• Read books about separation with your child

• Encourage your child to write a story about the separation

• Children can feel insecure when their parents first separate, so it is important to try to minimise other changes in their life such as school, clubs and friends, and  to maintain a stable routine

• Draw a timeline that focuses on the good and big events or moments in life and what you hope will happen in the future

• Build two homes. Let your children have their own space and involve them in the planning.

• Exercise together

• Play together

One of the most significant factors of how well children adjust to their parents separating is how well the parents adjust.

Keep reinforcing to them that both parents still love them and that will not change.