One out of three children in America today has divorced parents. The breakup makes parents feel guilty and worried about how their children will be affected. They want to do the best they can for their children but are often insecure about handling the complex emotional problems aroused by divorce. Helping Children Cope with Divorce provides specific guidelines to help parents deal with the issues that emerge at each stage of the divorce process. Teyber clearly and compassionately details how parents can minimize the distress for children during the initial breakup, explain the divorce to the children, tailor custody and visitation plans to accommodate children's needs, shield children from parental conflict, discipline children effectively in the aftermath of divorce and form successful new stepfamilies. The book draws on basic child development principles to help parents fully understand what their children are experiencing in the wake of marital disruption. Parents are then show how to apply this understanding when responding to potential concerns of their children such as: "If Dad has moved out, will Mom go away too?" "Maybe if I had been good, Mom and Dad wouldn't have divorce", or "Do I have to love my new stepparents?" Helping Children Cope with Divorce offers number of realistic family scenarios and sample parent-child dialogues for handling issues. Drawing on a wealth of case studies, recent research findings on children's responses to divorce, and his extensive experience counseling divorced families, Teyber offers a specific plan of action in a reassuring, engaging manner, to help ensure children's successful adjustment.