Staying Together for the Kids
Many unhappily married parents choose to stay married rather than separating and divorcing in the interest of “staying together for the kids.” They believe that it is best for their children to be raised in an intact family rather than to be the child of divorce. While it may be true that children thrive in happy intact families, staying together for the sake of the children may do more harm than good, particularly during this pandemic.
Children of unhappily married parents typically live with conflict, unrest, tension, and stress. Their parents argue, fight, and do not show affection for one another, and may even compete for their attention. These children often have parents who are, understandably, preoccupied with the conflict in their marriage and are therefore not able to be the best parents they can be.
Since the start of the pandemic, children have spend significantly more time, if not all of their time, at home with their parents. Children are a product of the environment in which they are raised, and if that environment is riddled with tension and animosity, it will have an effect on how children grow and the decisions and choices they will make as adults.
If a child is raised in two separate households, even though this will be inherently disruptive and not the ideal, if both of those households are full of love and support, a child will likely be better off in the long run.
Children are resilient, adaptable, and far more aware than adults give them credit for. The impact of a divorce on a child will only be as negative as their parents allow it to be. If separated parents work together to co-parent and raise their children without animosity, the child will benefit from two fully present parents.
