Ep. 302: Before, During, or After Divorce—What Every Parent Needs to Hear

Parenting Great Kids with Dr. Meg Meeker

Dr. Meg Meeker

Kids & Family, Education, Parenting, Self-improvement

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 19 November 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Children process divorce very differently than adults do. In this episode, we explore how to recognize their pain, help them express big emotions, and avoid critical parenting mistakes post-divorce. Learn the do’s and don’ts of co-parenting, when to introduce a new partner, and why listening is your most powerful tool.

Topics Covered:

How children's grief differs from adults'
Emotional and cognitive responses to divorce
The hidden pain children carry
Navigating anger, guilt, and loyalty binds
What not to say about your ex
Why rushing into dating can backfire
Encouraging open, validating conversations
Realistic timelines for healing

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If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to move forward in your parenting journey, Dr. Meg Meeker can help. With decades of experience as a pediatrician and parenting coach, Dr. Meg offers 1-on-1 coaching to help you build confidence, strengthen your family, and parent with purpose. Start your coaching journey today

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Transcript

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0:00.0	on today's episode of parenting great kids.
0:03.9	But kids lose a big part of their security of life as they know it.
0:12.4	They lose access to a parent whenever they want to have that parent.
0:16.9	And they lose this tight, beautifully woven ecosystem that either is or exists in their mind of what they see as family.
0:31.2	Welcome to parenting great kids.
0:33.5	Here's your host, Dr. Meg Meeker.
0:37.3	Today I'd like to talk about how to help your child or your nephew or your niece or your
0:45.6	grandchild or even a friend's child. Help them navigate the pain of loss after a divorce. Now, a lot of times adult counselors are
0:59.1	terrific at helping the couple who's been divorced work through their grief. And it's a little bit
1:07.5	easier because it's an adult helping another adult who can think on the
1:12.1	same level and they have the same level of complexity of their thinking. They have more sophisticated
1:18.1	thinking. But when it comes to helping kids, all bets are off for a lot of reasons. One, kids are
1:26.0	at different cognitive levels depending upon the age they are. That's
1:31.0	going to impact how they grieve. Second, there are different personalities. There's different
1:37.5	emotional levels of growth, if you will, different relationships with their parents. And it can be harder and trickier
1:46.4	to help a child after divorce because there's so many more moving parts, if you will, psychologically,
1:54.7	well and physically moving part. So I think it's really important as those of us who love kids
2:00.2	to really take a deep dive into
2:03.6	what kids experience, how those experiences are different from what their parents experience,
2:10.4	and then what we can do about it. Before I dive in, I just want to take two minutes and say
2:15.4	something to you. If you're a parent who's
2:18.1	thinking of getting a divorced or you're in the midst of a divorce, I would strongly, strongly
	...

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