Families Change Teen Guide to Separation & Divorce

You are here

More Resources

Divorce Workbook for Teens

It's tough being a teen even in the best of circumstances, but when parents divorce teens are faced with an additional set of practical and emotional issues. This book gives them everything they need to get through their parents' divorce and keep it from taking a long-term emotional toll. Teens learn how to cope with grief, fear, and anger; adjust to having two homes; assert their right to be teens, to love both parents; not get caught in the middle; understand that the divorce is not their fault and overcome guilt.

The Divorce Express

No one wants to ride the Divorce Express. Especially Phoebe. It means leaving her apartment and friends, moving to the country with her dad, and taking the bus every weekend to visit her mom in the city. It means she has to go to a new school, and see her father go on dates. It’s a hectic life with no time to feel she really belongs in either place. Then, just when she gets a handle on juggling the pieces of her life, her mother makes a decision that will change everything again. Can Phoebe be herself and still be part of both worlds?

Surviving Divorce

Today's preteens don't just need to know how to "cope" with problems; they need the proper tools to make positive changes and smart decisions in all areas of life. From keeping a journal to getting help with depression, and from learning to take personal responsibility to dealing with divorce, this book is filled with information, support and advice.

It’s Not the End of the World

I want a mother and a father and I want them to live together-right here-in this house! Karen Newman can't believe it when her father moves out. How could her parents do this? Don't they know they belong together? Somehow Karen has to get her mom and dad to talk to each other face-to-face. Maybe then they'll realize divorce is a mistake. But can she think of a plan soon - and one that works?

Stepliving for Teens

Although there are books that may help teens cope with divorce, what about life after divorce? This book explores real questions from real teens living in stepfamilies. In Q&A format, the book covers a wide range of actual stepfamily concerns. Not only will teens get honest answers from two psychologists who specialize in teenagers and stepfamilies, but also straight-talk advice from other step-teens.

How to Survive Your Parents’ Divorce: Kid’s Advice to Kids

In this book, over 250 young people give advice from kids for kids to share how they cope with their parents' divorce. Counselors add their insights to round out the advice to kids on how to cope when parents decide to get a divorce.

Divorce Helpbook for Teens

Divorce can be especially tough on teens, and this friendly guide offers a helping hand to teens struggling to answer the tough questions when their parents divorce: Why do parents get divorced? How will the divorce change our lives? What can I do to feel less depressed? What’s likely to happen next? How do you tell absent parents that they don’t visit often enough? How do you say "no" to parents who want you to carry messages to, or spy on, the other parent?

Dealing with Divorce (TeensHealth.org)

For many people, their parents' divorce marks a turning point in their lives, whether the divorce happened many years ago or is taking place right now. When it happens to you, you can feel very alone and unsure of what it all means. It may seem hard, but it is possible to cope with divorce — and have a good family life in spite of some changes divorce may bring.

Family Break-up (LegalRightsforYouth.ca)

Sometimes parents decide to end their relationship by separation or divorce. If there are children involved, parents have some very important decisions to make about where their children will live and how the children will be financially supported. Children of separated parents should understand that the break up is not their fault. Separation and divorce are adult issues and kids should not be caught in the middle.

Dealing with Divorce and Custody (ReachOut.com)

Divorce and custody arrangements are never easy. Coming to terms with the fact that your family is changing and making sense of what happened can be difficult. There are things you can do that might make the process a bit clearer, and talking to someone can make a huge difference.

Divorce and Teens (DivorceandTeens.com)

This website is here to help everyone affected by divorce, from teen, to parent, to friend, and while the website is called divorce and teens, even if you're not a teenager the information here still applies to you. Read on for more!

Teens Dealing with Divorce

Six teens talk about their experience from their parents getting divorced and how they chose to overcome their problems.

The Resilience Workbook for Teens

ocial media, online ads, and glossy magazines make it look easy to be a teen-everyone seems to be laughing, sun-kissed, beautiful, surrounded by friends, and wearing the perfect clothes. But if you're like most teens and young adults, reality doesn't look like a magazine ad, lifestyle blog, or Instagram feed. You may struggle with not fitting in or being bullied. You may feel overwhelmed by stress, experience a significant setback, or lose a parent or loved one. That's why it's so important to build resilience - the cornerstone of mental health and wellness. This workbook will show you how.

Divorce Is the Worst

Kids are told, "it's for the best" - and one day, it may be. But right now, divorce is the worst. With honesty and humor, Anastasia Higginbotham beautifully conveys the challenge of staying whole when your entire world, and the people in it, split apart. Exceptional in its child-centered portrayal, Divorce Is the Worst is an invaluable tool for families, therapeutic professionals, and divorce mediators struggling to address this common and complex experience.

Now What Do I Do?: A Guide to Help Teenagers with Their Parents' Separation or Divorce

When a marriage ends, it is hard enough for the two people directly involved. When there are children in the family, however, the destructive effects of a divorce or separation are magnified. In Now What Am I Supposed to Do? author Lynn Cassella-Kapusinski offers a workbook for teens to help them flush out their feelings and fears over their parents' divorce or separation.

Healing After Divorce: 100 Practical Ideas for Kids

Focusing on the natural grief children endure when their parents divorce, this guide helps kids process the common feelings of shock, sadness, anger, guilt, and relief while highlighting their most vital need—love and support. The handbook helps children name and understand these strange new emotions and affirms that their thoughts and feelings are natural while teaching them the value of constructively expressing them. An assortment of suggested physical and verbal activities for mourning grief are also included.

My Parents Are Divorcing. Now What?

Provides information about divorce and its effects and offers advice to teenagers on how to deal with the problems their parents' divorce may cause while getting on with everyday life.

Q & A

Q:
I really feel like I need some help. Who should I ask?
A:

There are lots of people around you who can help. Tell your parents, teacher, school counsellor, family doctor or another adult you trust.

If you aren't getting the help you think you need, keep asking until you get it.