PBS Kids GO! It's My Life
Divorce: Get Outside Help

If you need more help, get it. It's important to keep talking about your feelings. If you can't talk to your parents, find someone else you can discuss things with.

When Derek felt that he needed to talk to someone, he chose his church pastor. He learned that his pastor had gone through a divorce when he was 10, so he understood a lot of what Derek was going through. Jackie chose to talk to a teacher that she trusted. She wasn't totally comfortable at first, but the more she confided in her teacher, the easier it got. Jackie also talked to her school guidance counselor, and that helped too.

Religious leaders, teachers, and school counselors are good choices if you feel the need to talk about your parents' divorce. You might also talk to some of your closest friends about what you're going through. Don't be afraid that your friends won't like you because your folks are getting a divorce. Chances are that even if they haven't been through a divorce themselves, they know many other kids who have.

You should also ask your teachers and counselors if there are any local support groups for kids going through divorce. Jackie joined a group at school called "Banana Splits" for kids who have lost a parent or whose parents are divorced, and she found that it really helped her to share her feeling with kids who were going through the same thing she was.

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