Part 3 / 4
This blog is part of a four part series that looks back on the lecture Children 1st Mediation gave in the Family Mediation Council’s Family Mediation Week 2025. The lecture focus was on the importance of Children’s involvement in mediation, and the benefits it can bring to families going through separation. In this third part, we explore how Child Inclusive Mediation can help families listen to their children as part of family mediation.
How Can Child Inclusive Mediation Help Families Communicate?
Separation and divorce are tough on everyone, especially the kids. It’s a time of big changes and emotional upheaval, and communication can really suffer. Child Inclusive Mediation can be a really useful tool to support families as part of the mediation process to really listen to your children and hear their views.
What is Child Inclusive Mediation?
Child Inclusive Mediation is a type of mediation where a trained mediator meets with the children involved in a separation or divorce to hear their thoughts and feelings. The mediator then shares this information with the parents, helping them understand their children’s perspectives and make decisions that are in their best interests.
How Child Inclusive Mediation Helps Families Communicate
Child Inclusive Mediation can help families communicate in several ways:
- Validation: Child inclusive mediation validates children’s feelings and helps to build trust. The process of talking to a trained mediator helps them to feel heard and understood. This, and the following discussions with the mediation and you, as parents can lead to more open and honest communication.
- Inclusion: Child inclusive mediation helps children feel including in the decision making process, reducing anxiety and and proting a sense of belonging. This can encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings more openly with you, as their parents moving forward.
- Insights: Child inclusive mediation provides unique insights into family dynamics. It can help you as parents understand your children’s perspectives and needs, which in turn can lead to more empathetic and understanding family communication
- Prioritisation: Child Inclusive Mediation encourages you, as parents to prioritise your children’s needs, leading to more child-focussed decisions and improved communication.
Child Inclusive Mediation and Family Mediation
Child inclusive Mediation is a valuable tool that can be used in conjunction with family mediation to help families navigate separation and divorce more constructively. By improving communication and understanding Child Inclusive Mediation can help families reach agreement with the support of a mediator that focus on your children’s needs.
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If you’re thinking about family mediation, Child Inclusive Mediation or just want to know more about your options, we’re here to help. Get in touch by calling us at 0330 33 22 488 or emailing info@children1stmediation.co.uk
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Keywords: Family mediation, child mediation, child inclusive mediation, child-focused mediation, CIM, Children First Mediation, FMC, Family Mediation Council