It’s easy to have a pessimistic view about marriage in the United States today – finding statistics that say about 50 percent of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce isn’t hard. However, according to a new story in the New York Times’ data blog The Upshot, this statistic is outdated. The Times’ piece says that the divorce rate in the last three decades has actually been declining, not rising. According to data from Justin Wolfers, a University of Michigan economist who also contributes to The Upshot, if these current trends continue nearly two-thirds of marriages will never end in divorce.
These numbers are more promising than what we’ve heard in the past, but here at Mamalode we’ve noticed a number of parents experience divorce in some fashion. Whether as a mom trying to explain the reasons why to her kids, or a dad writing a letter to his daughter to remind her that he’ll always be there, parents who get divorced are naturally worried about how the transition will affect their kids.
Some parents just want to let their kids know that they don’t necessarily need a partner to live a full life, or that a stable family doesn’t have to mean two happily-married parents. Their kids can still live healthy, happy lives – it’s just that now the definitions of “family” have altered.
If you are a divorced mom, dad, or a new stepparent, the important thing to remember while facing these transitions with your family and children is – you are not alone.
Great further reading from Mamalode and Mamalode’s writers about divorce and dealing with new families:
- A Love Letter To My Son’s Stepmom, by Shelley Wetton
- The Single Mom’s Survival Guide, by Stephanie Land
- The Loneliness of Post Divorce, by Shannon Lell
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