Why in this day and age are more married couples getting a divorce? Half of all American children see the breakup of their parent’s marriage. If the couple has children, then they need to take their time and do all they can to stay together, with not even a thought of divorce. It’s hard on all children, but especially teenagers, when their parents are constantly fighting and eventually split up. When I say “child” in this essay, it can be a child kindergarten to high school.

It’s hard on a child to comprehend all that is going on during a divorce, with either wondering where one parent is, or just the exchange between the mother and fathers households. Divorce can make kids have a lot of trouble in school. The child is just thinking nonstop about what has been happening, so it’s hard to pay attention during class. It gives the child a lot of stress. Sometimes the children even have to change schools. They have to make new relationships between friends and family members. Too many changes can put pressure on anyone, and it’s hard for children to handle it. After a while of not paying attention in class and not doing your homework due to moving houses and being busy at home, kids’ grades drastically drop. Then outside of class, whether it be lunch, recess, or passing, the child tries to fit in to a group of friends. But it’s awkward for the child, because you know most of their parents are happy together and will probably love each other forever. Then if the friends know about the divorce, chances are someone will make fun of the child, making them feel really bad.

Most children with separated parents have behavior problems, and a lot of people know it. Divorce often results in a loss of all contact with one of the two parents, which means the child losses the knowledge, skills, and resources of the parent. With only one parent trying to control one or many children, it can get pretty hectic for that parent. After a while the parent could start drinking heavy amounts of alcohol and/or drugs. Too much or even a little bit of either substance can screw up the mental health of the parent. After a while of consuming heavy amounts of alcohol and/or drugs, the parent could start thinking the only way to discipline their child or children is with physical abuse, which is never the answer. Then the child or children start hating the parent. They rebel against the parent. They start thinking its okay to treat people the way the parent treats them. Then if people at school start making of the child they will treat the people how the parent treats them. The child will want to do drugs and drink alcohol just to break the rules.


Many children with divorced parents have problems with their peers, in and out of school. In school, other kids may tease the child about have divorced parents, making him feel bad. They will tell the child that it’s his fault, or just tell the child that they are better because they have married parents. The child would want this to stop, so they may tell the teacher, but the teacher sees no one teasing. After a while, the child is teased again. Well now he wants to stick up for himself. The child will use physical violence to make it stop. Then the child will get in trouble, and not very many people will like him because he fought their friend. The child would start feeling like an outcast. Outside of school, the child may get jumped by three or four other children for beating up a friend. The child now feels worse; not only because he has divorced parents, but he now has close to know friends because no one likes him for his actions. This happens, and the child gets affiliated with gangs, and starts doing drugs and drinking alcohol. He breaks the law many times, and is proud of it. This can all happen just because someone was made fun of.
Couples definitely need to think more than twice before even thinking about divorce. Divorce can change kids. Couples need to try different methods, like counseling, to stay together for the children. Children with divorced can end up in gangs, doing drugs, drinking alcohol, and doing very poorly in school, because they stop caring. But sometimes none of this happens. I’m sixteen, and my parents have been divorced since I was three, and I turned out fine. The benefits of having separated parents is that you have two Christmas’, birthdays, houses, own personal rooms, and if you like one parent more than another you can stay with that one parent.