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Wish We'd Known: 18 Things No One Tells You About Getting a Divorce

Even when ending your marriage is the right choice, it's still hard -- and not always in the way that you expect it to be. Here, 18 things we wish we'd known (19 Photos)

Elizabeth Shaw on Jun 28, 2012 at 10:24PM

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Wish We'd Known: 18 Things No One Tells You About Getting a Divorce

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Telling the Kids Will Be One of the Hardest Moments in Your Life...and You'll Have to Explain It More Than Once

When it's time to tell the kids, share the news together. Try not to demean or blame each other. And if it's within your means, get advice ahead of time from a therapist. How the children react will, of course, depend on their age and temperament, but be prepared for anger, tears, screaming or even silence. They may blame one of you outright (rightly or wrongly). They may blame themselves (the hardest). And if they're older toddlers or young preschoolers, there's a good chance they're not going to get it right away. Which means you'll have some version of this conversation again and again.