Given her initial idea that divorce may not be so bad, it’s ironic that Judy became best known as one of the nation’s leading critics of divorce. The heart of her findings:
* The effects of divorce on children are not transient. They are long-lasting and profound, persisting well into adulthood.
* The quality of the post-divorce family is critical. Parents are told “don’t fight” but the issue is much bigger. Beyond custody and visiting plans, children need to be fully supported as they grow up. Few are.
* Age matters. Little ones, ages 2 to 6, are terrified of abandonment. Elementary-school-age children, 7 to 11, grow resentful when deprived of opportunities they would have had if their parents had stayed together.
Read it all.
Judith Wallerstein and Divorce: How One Woman Changed the Way We Think About Marital Breakups
Given her initial idea that divorce may not be so bad, it’s ironic that Judy became best known as one of the nation’s leading critics of divorce. The heart of her findings:
* The effects of divorce on children are not transient. They are long-lasting and profound, persisting well into adulthood.
* The quality of the post-divorce family is critical. Parents are told “don’t fight” but the issue is much bigger. Beyond custody and visiting plans, children need to be fully supported as they grow up. Few are.
* Age matters. Little ones, ages 2 to 6, are terrified of abandonment. Elementary-school-age children, 7 to 11, grow resentful when deprived of opportunities they would have had if their parents had stayed together.
Read it all.