Divorce and other family transitions
Transitions occur often for families. From going through divorce or separation, to change in employment, it can be difficult to adjust. Our courses and educational resources teach parents about the impact of family transition and offer strategies that help both parents and children adjust to their new life.
Parents Forever™ curriculum
Comprehensive curriculum that is used to facilitate a Parents Forever™ course to parents and caregivers of children who have experienced a family transition like divorce or separation.
The courses
There are different options for attending a Parents Forever™ class. Get more information about the online class or the in person class.
Coping with abandonment — Children do best when they have a relationship with both of their parents, but sometimes this is not possible. Here are some tips for talking to your children about abandonment.
Children moving between two households — Follow these easy steps to help your children's transition between two households go more smoothly.
Grandparents and kin raising children — Resources are available to help families in this situation.
How age affects children's adjustment to stepfamilies — Understand how your children’s age affects their reaction to a new stepfamily and help them adjust.
Suggestions for stepfamilies — Learn about the unique challenges you’ll encounter as a stepparent.
New families and traditions — Learn how to use communications, negotiation, and compromise to help navigate exploring and establishing traditions in new families.
Reducing stress during holidays for kids and divorce — Explore some things divorced parents can keep in mind to help ease the difficulty of holidays.
Assets: savings and investments — During a divorce or separation, most people experience changes in their assets. This fact sheet will help you retain the assets that you need to meet the needs of yourself and your children.
Credit issues with divorce — Review things to consider related to credit and divorce.
Protect children against future risks — Your children are at special risk as your family’s finances are changing due to a divorce or separation. Learn what you can do to protect your children's financial well-being in the future.
Retirement benefits — Retirement plans can be complicated and confusing, even without adding a divorce or separation to the equation. Use this resource to help develop a financial plan for retirement post-family transition.
Communicating effectively — Effective communication skills is key to a strong coparenting relationship. Learn some tips to help you communicate with your children’s other parent during the family transition and beyond.
How to talk to with your children about family transition — Get tips for talking to your children about the transition, the right way.
Children's books on divorce and separation — Reading books to your children can be a great way to open up the conversation about their feelings toward your divorce or separation. This list of books can help you get started.
Staying connected to your children and coparent — After a family transition like divorce or separation, children need their parents more than ever. Finding ways to stay positively connected to both your children and your children’s other parent will benefit your whole family in the end.
Should we reconcile? — Depending on your situation, you may still be considering whether the romantic relationship with your children’s other parent is completely over or if you will eventually get back together. This resource reviews things to consider before making the big decision.
Tips for managing conflict — While divorce and separations often go hand-in-hand with conflict, it’s imperative that you try to minimize conflict in your children’s lives. While complete conflict resolution may not be possible, these tips can help you manage the conflict.
The importance of forgiveness — Learn more about how forgiveness can help you and your children move toward a healthier future.
Dos and don'ts of managing your anger — Looking for some tips controlling your anger, particularly when dealing with your children’s other parent? See this list of dos and don’ts.
Safety planning and abusive relationships — Experts recommend that victims of domestic abuse create a safety plan to prevent future harm to themselves or their children. Get tips for creating your own plan today.
An estimated 1.75 million children in the U.S. had a parent in a state or federal prison in 2007 (Maruschak, Glaze, & Mumola, 2010). How does parental incarceration affect children and families? Learn about the research on parental incarceration, hear from adults who have parented from behind bars, and learn what providers can do to support families affected by incarceration in the resources below. They represent work from multiple programs of the Extension Children, Youth & Family Consortium.
Incarcerated and Pregnant – Watch this video about the prevalence of pregnancy in incarcerated women and why it’s important to support this population.
Children’s mental health ereview
Children with Incarcerated Parents: Considering Children’s Outcomes in the Context of Complex Family Experiences (PDF) — Read this free issue of the eReview, an online publication that integrates research and practice expertise to improve services and promote children’s mental health.
Research to practice presentations
Parent in Prison: Collateral Consequences for Children and Families — Learn about the consequences of mass incarceration on children and families, risk and protective factors, and implications for mental health professionals. Video | Presentation (PDF)
Research and Reflections About Incarceration and Families: What Do We Know? - Jason Marque Sole, ABD, Assistant Professor — Metropolitan State University and Rebecca J. Shlafer, PhD. Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota — Video | Presentation (PDF)
Other resources
Children’s Book Review — Parental Incarceration (PDF) — Review this list of children’s books that address the topic of parental incarceration.
Views on Visitation (PDF) — Read this summary report on discussion of promoting family-friendly visitation practices in prisons and jails.
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Military Family Learning Network: Family Transitions — This network serves military family service professionals through engaged online communities.
Family transitions video — Are you a professional helping military service members navigate family transitions? The Military Family Learning Network Family Transitions team wants to engage with you!
Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act (PDF) — Get a better understanding of MN Statute 518E and how it affects deployed parents.