I have always hated the term, “Broken Family.” What does that mean anyways? Just because my son’s father and I aren’t married anymore doesn’t mean that we aren’t still a family and we are far from “broken.” Logan still has a mother, he still has a father, and lots and lots of people that love him very much. That doesn’t sound very broken if you ask me. Is the situation ideal? No. Ideally, Mom and Dad would love each other and live in the same house. Our family is just a little different than the typical nuclear family and that is still ok, we make it work for us.
It is true, kids who come from a divorced family have higher rates of depression and suicide. They are also more likely to do poorly in school or end up in prison. How do we keep our children from ending up in these statistics? I think one of the most important things we can do is to keep a good relationship with their other parent. This can be extremely difficult when you have been hurt by that person, but isn’t it worth it to keep our children from the devastation that can come from the divorce? It is important to remind your children that they were not the cause of the divorce. Remind them that even though you don’t love each other anymore, you still love them very much and you always will. Spend time with your children, show them that you care. Give them every opportunity to succeed and you will beat the odds. Divorce doesn’t have to be the end of the road for these kids. Does it affect them? Yes, of course, it changes their lives in a way that few things can, but they can still have a happy childhood and they can still succeed. We aren’t “broken,” just a little different.