As your adult child walks through divorce, your role as supportive parent may change, but so will your role of grandparent. We began to look at ways you can grandparent through divorce in Part 1 of this article. We’re going to continue looking at ways to grandparent through divorce below.

5. Be a Safe Space

Listen well. Their whole life is in upheaval. That might mean they need a place to distract them from life for a while. It might mean they need someone to listen to their frustrations, hurts, griefs, fears, and uncertainties. This is not to say you need to promise anything that you can’t deliver on. (Christmas together may never happen again!) But letting them know that you’re willing to listen can be a balm for their hurts. Don’t break their confidences by reporting everything they told you to their parents. (1 Thessalonians 5:11). 

6. Keep Some Pictures

At some point, your grandchildren may want to hear about their parents’ wedding day and love story. Perhaps keeping those photos would be too painful or unwelcome for your adult child, but you could keep some. This may help your grandchild get a better picture of the love and family life their parents once had together. This may be especially meaningful if they were too young to remember the marriage.

7. Don’t Pit Children Against A Parent

Yes, sometimes a child’s parent has made really poor choices. Yes, sometimes those choices have caused great amounts of pain for your child and your grandchildren. Yes, you may not agree with the divorce or some of the circumstances leading up to it. But it is never your job to try to manipulate your grandchildren to want to spend time with one parent more than the other or to try to get them to like a parent differently than they do. It is also inappropriate to make yourself or your home out to be the only place your grandchild should want to be. Ensure that they are safe physically and emotionally. Manipulation should never be a part of how you treat your grandchildren.

8. Point Them to Jesus

Always, always, always point them back to Jesus. This will look different for each family. But here’s some key truths:

• All people are broken by sin. (Romans 3:23).
• Divorce grieves God because He knows the devastation it causes families. (Psalm 38:14).
• There is no pain that cannot be borne with God’s help. (Deuteronomy 31:6).
• God’s forgiveness is abundant. (Ephesians 1:7).
• There is grace for everyone. (Ephesians 4:7).
• NOTHING can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:38-39).

Are you grandparenting through divorce? What would you add to this list? Comment below.