Why Parents Get Divorced

Around half of the marriages today end in divorce. Parents divorce for various reasons. It could happen because one parent falls in love with someone else. It may also happen because the parents feel they can no longer live together. Some parents can be cruel towards one another either mentally or physically. For some people, especially young children, it may mark a turning point in their lives.

For children involved in a divorce it can make everything much more complicated. Some children may feel responsible for a divorce, but this is very rarely the case. Children may feel abandoned, worried or guilty. However, some children may feel a sense of relief especially if there has been tension at home.

Children must remember that parents think long and hard prior to becoming divorced. As a child you didn’t cause it, you can’t change it, but you have to deal with it. Recently, children have written their own reasons for wanting a “divorce” from their parents. Their reasons might include abuse, neglect, abandonment, parental drug abuse, parents in prison, or child exploitation. Parents usually have no intention of hurting their children through divorce. Sometimes, divorce just happens because parents no longer love one another. The children may feel everything was going along smoothly, then suddenly the future looks uncertain and scary.

When a divorce takes place, parents are under more pressure than ever. Parents have to cope with economic pressures, finances, emotions, relationships and job stress. Parents know that everything they do after the divorce will impact the lives of their children. Every parent should have a close relative, a personal friend, a person that they work with or a social worker that can help them through the difficult period after divorce.