Even though the research has shown that children from divorced families are not overwhelming worse off psychologically, anyone who has a conversation with a child or young adult whose parents have divorced will tell you that these young people still seem to experience considerable distress about the breakup of their families and that these feelings linger.

Some new work indicates that while children may not be significantly impaired as a result of the divorce, they do carry painful memories. Laumann-Billings and Emery (2000) report that young adults in the early 20s who experienced the divorce of their parents still report pain and distress over their parents’ divorces ten years later. Feelings of loss about the relationship with their fathers was the most common report. Those young people who reported high conflict between their parents were even more likely to have feelings of loss and regret.

To read the whole article, please visit:
http://www.menweb.org/divorcekids.htm

Kate Hilpern
The Guardian,     
Saturday 14 March 2009

As more and more couples decide to split up in later life, do we underestimate the effect on their grown-up offspring?
Here's what some young adults of divorce have to say about it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/14/divorce-adult-offspring-acods

While their parents are still struggling to figure out teenagers, kids are quietly sneaking into young adulthood according to Deorah Levine Herman, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motherhood.
Check out Ms. Herman's helpful list of Do's and Don'ts here:

http://life.familyeducation.com/young-adult/parenting/51065.html