It's really tough when your parents decide to get a divorce. Everything suddenly feels different and confusing. Sometimes, it feels like they're always arguing, and it's hard to know what to do or say. You might feel like it's your fault, even though everyone keeps saying it's not. It's like your whole world is turning upside down, and you just want everything to go back to the way it was before.

You might have to move to a new house or switch schools, and it's scary not knowing what's going to happen next. But even though it's really hard right now, it's important to remember that it's okay to feel sad or angry and that there is help out there!

Communicating your feelings

During a divorce, it can be incredibly challenging to communicate with your parents. Sometimes, it feels like they're so caught up in their own problems that they don't have time to listen to how you're feeling. You might try to talk to them, but they're always busy or too upset to pay attention.

When I found out my parents were getting a divorce, I felt like my whole world was falling apart. I didn't know what to do or how to make things better, I felt overlooked and pushed aside – like neither parent wanted to listen to me. Turning to the internet for answers, I spent hours searching for ways to deal with my parent’s divorce, and that's when I stumbled upon family mediation.

It sounded like just what we needed—a way for my parents to talk things out calmly and find a solution that worked for all of us. I gathered up the courage to suggest it to my parents, and at first, they seemed hesitant. But after I explained how much it meant to me to have a say in what happened next, they agreed to give it a try.

How Family Mediation helped me

Family mediation is really helpful because it gave me a chance to be a part of the decision-making process. I remember feeling scared and unsure about what was going to happen with my parents' divorce, but meeting one-on-one with the mediator made me feel like my voice mattered. It was a safe space where I could talk about my worries and feelings without feeling judged. Anything my Mediator and I spoke about was confidential and nothing was shared with my parents without my consent.

Planning for the future

The mediator was really understanding and helped me figure out what I wanted and needed during my parents’ divorce. They listened to me and helped me make choices that would benefit me and my family in the long run.

I was so worried about having to move schools and make new friends. It felt like my whole world was going to change, and I didn't know if I could handle it. Talking one on one with the mediator was really helpful and reassuring. They listened to me really carefully, and they helped me explain how I was feeling to my parents – I felt included in the process.  The Mediator was able to talk to my parents and create a co-parenting plan that put my needs first.

The co-parenting plan created a schedule for when I would get to spend time with each of my parents.

Resolving issues

When my parents started going to family mediation, it felt like a big change was happening. Before, there was so much arguing and tension in our house that it made me feel really sad and scared.

Once they started mediation, things started to get better. They argued less, and were better at communicating with each other. The mediator helped my parents talk to each other calmly and sort things out for the future. They made sure that both of their needs were accounted for, which made me feel like everything was fair and helped my understanding. 

‍

‘Teenager of divorced parents’