These are non-negotiable and no amount of explanation or justification will excuse your
failure to provide any of these gifs to a child of divorce, whether you are a parent or a
stepparent.
1. Tell your child and show them consistently that you divorced the other parent, not
the child.
2. Tell your child and show them consistently that the divorce was not in any way
related to them but was differences between the parents.
3. Do not ever speak negatively about the other parent when the children are within
one mile of you or, even better, find a private place online to vent or best of all,
go to therapy and figure out why you are still carrying these negative feelings.
4. Dig deep and make sure that the children have a card and a gift – however
small – for the other parent on their birthday and Mother’s/Father’s Day. It
doesn’t matter that the other parent doesn’t reciprocate. Model for your children
how you want them to be when they grow up. Pull up your big person pants and
just do it.
5. Act your age and let them be kids.