Most kids will hate the fact that their parents are divorcing. There may be some who realize it is a good thing, perhaps where one parent was violent toward them or their other parent, but generally, kids will be devastated by the thought of their parents splitting up.
Your children will almost certainly get over it with time, but there is a lot you can do to increase the likelihood of that and to reduce the suffering they experience. Here are a few to start with:
Be nice about each other
You may dislike your soon-to-be ex-spouse right now, but they are still your child’s parent. You need to be extremely careful not to vent your frustrations about them in front of your child. That doesn’t just mean not talking badly about them. It means not zoning out of the conversation as soon as your child mentions them, not sighing every time you see their number appear on your phone and more.
Work together to raise your child
Your child will probably do better if both of you continue to take an active role in their life. This means you should temper any desires you have of gaining sole custody and moving with your child to somewhere so distant that you can guarantee you’ll never bump into your ex in the street.
Putting your child’s needs first is key, and a court will expect you to do just this. That means cooperating to create a workable and fair parenting plan and both doing your best to make it work or adapt it when needed. Taking legal guidance is a good place to start planning for your new future.