How do you tell adult children about an affair?

Are you struggling with the pain of revealing an affair to your adult child? It’s a difficult situation that can shatter the image and trust they had in you as their parent. But there is hope for rebuilding your relationship.

When your child finds out about the affair, they may feel betrayed by both you and the cheater. It’s important to approach the conversation with empathy, understanding that they are grieving the loss of the parent they thought they knew. Give them time to process and grieve before attempting to rebuild a new relationship. The parent they trusted and grew up with is gone.

The discovery of an affair can have a profound impact on adult children. It’s like losing a major part of their childhood and the emotional security they once had. Trust is broken, and they may struggle to interact with the cheater or with you as their parent.

Don’t expect them to take the news in stride. They may experience a range of emotions, from disgust to disbelief. Rebuilding trust takes time, patience, and consistent actions. It is at times like this you realize that referring to affairs as something just between consenting adults is a farce. The affair has a ripple effect disrupting every life it touches.

It’s important not to demand comfort or defense from your children. Lashing out at them in pain will only generate more anger and strain the relationship further.

In some cases, adult children may actually welcome news of the affair if the marriage has been dysfunctional for a long time. This can validate underlying trust issues. Regardless of the initial impact, repairing the damaged trust is crucial.

To aid in this process, you can watch my video on “How Can I Trust Him Again?” and learn strategies for rebuilding trust within your family. Remember, it won’t happen overnight, but with effort and commitment, you can create a new and stronger relationship with your adult child.