What behaviors might a preschool child display related to their parents' divorce?

What behaviors might a preschool child display related to their parents' divorce?

• A. Fears of abandonment, verbalizing they are the reason for the divorce, and engaging in fantasy to understand the divorce.
• B. Increased interest in school and improved sleep.
• C. Aggressive behavior toward peers only.
• D. No change in behavior.

Answer: (A)

Preschoolers process big changes through their growing sense of security and using magical thinking. When parents divorce, they often fear abandonment and worry that the separation means one parent will disappear or that the child is to blame. They may voice guilt, saying they caused the split, and use fantasy or imaginative play to understand what’s happening. This combination—fear of abandonment, self-blame, and using fantasy to make sense of the event—fits this developmental stage and is the most typical response. By contrast, improved school performance and sleep, only aggressive behavior toward peers, or no change at all don’t align with how a young child usually responds to such family disruption.

Preschoolers process big changes through their growing sense of security and using magical thinking. When parents divorce, they often fear abandonment and worry that the separation means one parent will disappear or that the child is to blame. They may voice guilt, saying they caused the split, and use fantasy or imaginative play to understand what’s happening. This combination—fear of abandonment, self-blame, and using fantasy to make sense of the event—fits this developmental stage and is the most typical response. By contrast, improved school performance and sleep, only aggressive behavior toward peers, or no change at all don’t align with how a young child usually responds to such family disruption.