A recent article from the Huffington Post was authored by a women who was 28 years old when her husband told her he wanted a divorce. As she says, at that time she had “a wonderful three-year-old daughter, two fantastic careers, friends, two dogs, a cat, even the proverbial wooden picket fence.” Divorce is difficult for most people of any age, but young couples divorcing have unique issues that older couples do not. The full article can be found here.
What I found interesting in the article is that while the now-divorced woman discusses how happy her new life as a single 30 year old woman happens to be (“I am still young and vibrant enough to enjoy this world without having to worry if my best days are past me.”) the article does not mention the positive impact the divorce likely had on the child. And this may be the most important factor causing her mother’s enjoyment.
Coincidentally, the Huffington Post featured an article on this issue last month that can be found here. The effects of a divorce on a child, especially a young one, can often be enormously positive. For example, as cited in the article, the child is no longer exposed to fighting, learns to compromise, and (I believe most importantly) has two very happy parents as opposed to none. Staying together for the kids is often a myth that causes more harm than good.
–MJG