The breakup of a marriage, or any relationship, isn’t caused by one person alone; it takes two to make it crash and burn, just as it takes two to make it work. But the innocent party in such an event will always be any children you and your partner may have.

So it’s very important to make sure that you do everything to give your kids some security and stability in the midst of (and after) a separation, annulment, or divorce. For example, your child will need to know that his parents, even if they no longer love each other, will never stop loving him.

FN offers a few tips to help ease some of your kids’ emotional trauma should you and your spouse or partner seek to part ways. Click through the gallery below.


(First published as "Kris and James Clash Over Visitation Rights: Stabilizing Your Child's Life Despite Separation" on Female Network. All screencaps from Stepmom courtesy of Columbia Pictures.)