Kids asked why mommy and daddy don't live together anymore

8h ago1 min read

Had this conversation with my 6 year old yesterday and I honestly froze for a second. I didn't want to badmouth his mom or make him feel like it's his fault. So I just said that mommy and daddy love him very much but we decided it's better if we live in different places. He seemed okay with it but now I'm second guessing myself on whether I said the right thing. He's been asking a lot of questions about if we can get back together. What do you tell your kids about this? I want to be honest but also not mess him up.

6 comments118 views

Comments(6)

AAlexNew Dadjust now

The important thing is making sure they know it's not their fault. That's what they're worried about even if they don't say it. I made that really clear with both mine and it helped a lot.

NNate B.New Dadjust now

Be ready for the same question again in a few weeks. And in different ways. My 6 year old asked me three different variations of this before she really processed it.

DDerek M.New Dadjust now

That freeze is totally normal dude. I had the same moment with my 6 year old. I just told her that sometimes mommies and daddies love their kids more than they love each other and that's why we live in different houses. Kept it simple and honest.

JJasonNew Dadjust now

You did fine honestly. Not having a perfect answer right away is okay. Kids just need to know they're still loved and that they have two parents who care about them. Everything else is secondary.

EEdNew Dadjust now

This is such a hard one. I tried to keep it simple - 'sometimes grown-ups love each other but then we don't anymore, and that's not because of anything you did.' Still not sure I nailed it though.

KKevinNew Dadjust now

Your honesty is what matters most. Kids can sense when you're being fake. We told ours the truth but in kid-friendly language and she seemed okay with it. It's the lying that would mess them up.