My Parents Are Divorced Too

Three stepsiblings in a blended family discuss their experiences and those of friends with divorce and remarriage.

Seventy now-adult children of divorce give their candid and often heart-wrenching answers to eight questions (arranged in eight chapters, by question), including: What were the main effects of your parents' divorce on your life? What do you say to those who claim that "children are resilient" and "children are happy when their parents are happy"? What would you like to tell your parents then and now? What do you want adults in our culture to know about divorce? What role has your faith played in your healing? Their simple and poignant responses are difficult to read and yet not without hope. Most of the contributors--women and men, young and old, single and married--have never spoken of the pain and consequences of their parents' divorce until now. They have often never been asked, and they believe that no one really wants to know. Despite vastly different circumstances and details, the similarities in their testimonies are striking; as the reader will discover, the death of a child's family impacts the human heart in universal ways.

Three stepsiblings in a blended family discuss their experiences and those of friends with divorce and remarriage.

Three children in a blended family explain to other kids the many ups and downs faced by the children of divorce. Jann Blackstone-Ford is the stepparenting expert for iVillage.

If your parents divorced when you were a child, you may be wondering: Will I get divorced, too? Research indicates divorce is often passed down from generation to generation. Children from divorced homes are up to five times more likely to get divorced as compared to children whose families remained intact. It's time to end the cycle of divorce. Based upon two decades of interviews with over 400 adult children of divorce, this book will empower you to: Avoid the destructive relationship behaviors common to adult children of divorce Increase your ability to recognize what love looks like and what it doesn't look like Recognize the warning signs of a poor partner choice before you make a long-term commitment Create the successful, loving relationship you deserve This practical, no-nonsense guide is encouraging, optimistic and insightful. Through the use of real-life stories, it provides the valuable tools you need for a great relationship. Whether you're a teen embarking on dating and love, in your 20's, 30's or 40's with some dating history, or perhaps divorced already, it's never too early or too late to learn how to end the cycle of divorce.

When an adult child's marriage ends, lots of folks are hurt. The divorcing couple, of course, and their children. Until now, however, little attention has been paid to the parents of the divorcees. Temlock's examination of this sensitive topic offers parents a friendly guidebook packed with helpful information and suggestions from parents who've "been there." Her five-stage model of the divorce process for parents (Accepting the News, Rescuing Your Child, Responding to Changes, Stabilizing the Family, Refocusing and Rebuilding) will help readers stay grounded through the emotional upheavals they'll share with their children and grandchildren. This practical manual puts an arm around the shoulder of parents of divorcing adults and supports them through the difficult days of the divorce process and its aftermath.

Packed with research, insights, and illuminating (and often funny) examples from Paris’s own divorce experience, this book is a “practical and reassuring guide to parting well.” —Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project Engaging and revolutionary, filled with wit, searing honesty, and intimate interviews, Splitopia is a call for a saner, more civil kind of divorce. As Paris reveals, divorce has improved dramatically in recent decades due to changes in laws and family structures, advances in psychology and child development, and a new understanding of the importance of the father. Positive psychology expert and author of Happier, Tal Ben-Shahar, writes that Paris’s “personal insights, stories, and research” create “a smart and interesting guide that can be extremely helpful for those going through divorce.” Reading this book can be the difference between an expensive, ugly battle and a decent divorce, between children sucked under by conflict or happy, healthy kids. This is “a compelling case that it’s high time for a new definition of Happily Ever After—for everyone” (Brigid Schulte, author of Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time).

A clear and practical guide about divorce for parents and children.