How to Cope when You Find out Your Parent Is Having an Affair
Talk with a trusted friend., Visit a counselor., Write down your feelings in a journal., Don't rush to conclusions., Don’t snoop around., Check on your siblings.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Talk with a trusted friend.
Find someone who is not directly involved, so it’s better not to choose your sibling, aunt or uncle.
A good friend will not judge you for your feelings and will help you begin to sort through the information that you’ve learned., You are processing a lot of different feelings, from anger to sadness to frustration.It will be helpful to talk with a professional who has expertise in counseling about extramarital affairs, as they can offer insight that may not have occurred to you.
They will also not judge your parents’ behavior and instead can offer an objective viewpoint.
They can also give you practical steps to coping with this situation. , Journal writing is a good way to process your feelings and relieve stress.You don’t need to share your writing with anyone, and you can explore your most private concerns.
This is a good way to begin processing how you feel and how you might approach talking to your parents about the issue. , You are not in your parent's shoes and it is highly probable that you are not aware of the entire story.
Marriages are challenging and both people contribute to their success.
If there are problems, you may not have heard about them.
Jumping to conclusions about what happened will not serve your relationship with either parent. , It may be tempting to try to find evidence that your parent is cheating, but it’s not your place to do so.
It’s not your marriage, and while you may feel betrayed by an unfaithful parent, you are still the child, not the spouse.
Resist the temptation to scroll through your parent’s text messages or emails. , If your siblings know about the situation, check on them to see how they’re doing.
If you have younger siblings who still live at home, go for a walk together so that you can have some privacy.
Talk to them about how they’re feeling and coping.
If your siblings don’t know about the affair, think very carefully whether telling them is a good idea.
It’s not really your place to do so, and it could hurt them unnecessarily. -
Step 2: Visit a counselor.
-
Step 3: Write down your feelings in a journal.
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Step 4: Don't rush to conclusions.
-
Step 5: Don’t snoop around.
-
Step 6: Check on your siblings.
Detailed Guide
Find someone who is not directly involved, so it’s better not to choose your sibling, aunt or uncle.
A good friend will not judge you for your feelings and will help you begin to sort through the information that you’ve learned., You are processing a lot of different feelings, from anger to sadness to frustration.It will be helpful to talk with a professional who has expertise in counseling about extramarital affairs, as they can offer insight that may not have occurred to you.
They will also not judge your parents’ behavior and instead can offer an objective viewpoint.
They can also give you practical steps to coping with this situation. , Journal writing is a good way to process your feelings and relieve stress.You don’t need to share your writing with anyone, and you can explore your most private concerns.
This is a good way to begin processing how you feel and how you might approach talking to your parents about the issue. , You are not in your parent's shoes and it is highly probable that you are not aware of the entire story.
Marriages are challenging and both people contribute to their success.
If there are problems, you may not have heard about them.
Jumping to conclusions about what happened will not serve your relationship with either parent. , It may be tempting to try to find evidence that your parent is cheating, but it’s not your place to do so.
It’s not your marriage, and while you may feel betrayed by an unfaithful parent, you are still the child, not the spouse.
Resist the temptation to scroll through your parent’s text messages or emails. , If your siblings know about the situation, check on them to see how they’re doing.
If you have younger siblings who still live at home, go for a walk together so that you can have some privacy.
Talk to them about how they’re feeling and coping.
If your siblings don’t know about the affair, think very carefully whether telling them is a good idea.
It’s not really your place to do so, and it could hurt them unnecessarily.
About the Author
Isabella Turner
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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