Most people don’t go around telling everyone they are divorcing. They prefer to maintain some privacy and only mention it to a selected few. If you have a child, you might wonder if their teacher should be one of those you tell.
The answer is almost always, yes. Here is why:
The teacher spends a lot of time looking after your child
You and your spouse may have ultimate responsibility for your child, but the teacher spends a lot of hours with your child under their care. Letting them know you are divorcing can give them some important background as to why your child is behaving or performing a certain way.
It allows the teacher to help your child
Aside from understanding why your child might act a certain way, they can also look out for them. They could offer them a shoulder to cry on if needed or ask their classmates to take extra care of them over the next few weeks. They can also report back to you if there is any change in behavior or personality you need to be aware of.
Depending on the age of your child, you might want to get their approval to tell their teacher before going ahead. It might be they would rather you told a different staff member who they have more affinity with.
If you try to make your divorce a collaborative, rather than conflictive affair, it can decrease the negative effects on your child and increase the chance that your child’s teachers can report back that your child is coping well.