In 2013, Ellen Bruno released the documentary Split: Divorce Through Kids’ Eyes. In the film, 12 kids aged six to 12 share their experience of their parents’ divorce.

Ten years later, Ellen sat down with the same 12 kids for a sequel, Split UP: The TEEN Years. What did she learn about how to best support children through the process of divorce?

Ellen is an award-winning filmmaker with a background in international relief work. She is on a mission to change the culture of divorce in our country through her films and the Split Outreach Project.

Ellen is also a recipient of both Guggenheim and Rockefeller Fellowships, a Goldie Award for Outstanding Artist and the Shenkin Fellowship from the Yale University School of Art.

On this episode of Divorce Dialogues, Ellen joins Katherine to explain how kids benefit from hearing straight talk about divorce from other kids.

Ellen shares key lessons from the new film, describing how much time and energy kids spend caretaking their divorced parents and why it’s crucial to tell your children that your divorce is not their fault.

Listen in to understand how Ellen’s films help parents refocus on their kids’ needs and find out how being heard helps children heal from divorce.

Topics Covered

How Ellen’s films give children the opportunity to share their experience of divorce

What makes kids good ambassadors for changing the culture of divorce in this country

How much time and energy children spend caretaking their divorced parents

Ellen’s personal experience with divorce (as a child and adult) and how it inspired the creation of Split

How kids benefit from hearing straight talk about divorce from other kids

How Ellen’s films help parents refocus on their kids’ needs and make more skillful choices

The universal truths that came out of Ellen’s interviews with children of divorce

Why it’s crucial to tell your kids that your divorce is NOT their fault

The profound relationship between parental cooperation in divorce and kids’ wellbeing

Why Ellen suggests opening up a dialogue on divorce with your children

Connect with Ellen Bruno

Split Film:

http://www.splitfilm.org/

Split Film on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/splitfilmforkids

Split Film on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/splitfilmforkids/

Connect with Katherine Miller

The Center for Understanding Conflict: http://understandinginconflict.org/

Miller Law Group: https://westchesterfamilylaw.com/

Katherine on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kemiller1

The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller: https://www.amazon.com/New-Yorkers-Guide-Collaborative-Divorce/dp/0692496246

Email: [email protected]

Call (914) 738-7765

Resources

Split: Divorce Through Kids’ Eyes:

https://missionfilms.gumroad.com/l/CrAny

Split UP: The TEEN Years:

http://www.splitfilm.org/professional_video.html

Split Outreach Project:

http://www.splitfilm.org/mailinglist.html

Split Guide:

http://splitfilm.org/order.html

Ellen Bruno on Divorce Dialogues EP045:

https://divorcedialogues.miller-law.com/empowering-kids-to-share-their-experience-with-divorce/

Dr. Christina McGhee:

https://divorceandchildren.com/about-christina-mcghee/