For Georgia parents who are undergoing the end of their marriage, the health and well-being of shared children is a top priority. Most spouses spend more time negotiating their child custody agreement than any other divorce topic, and rightfully so. The manner in which children are raised in the aftermath of a divorce can have lasting effects, as one recent study demonstrates.
The research was published in a recent edition of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. The author looked at data from over 7,000 individuals, regarding their personality traits and their adult relationships. The average age of the respondents was 24. When asked about their relationships as adults with their parents, researchers found an interesting pattern.
Respondents whose parents divorced when they were young, at an average age of 9 years old, were less likely to categorize their relationship with the non-custodial parent as secure. Those numbers increased for individuals whose parents divorced when they were just five years of age. Interestingly, respondents did not seem to experience difficulties in their relationship with romantic partners.
What this research underscores for Georgia parents is the importance of ensuring that both mom and dad remain a vital presence in the lives of shared children, even after a divorce. It is important to draft a child custody agreement that allows both parents to be involved in the activities and decision-making aspects of parenting. In order to create and nurture a strong, loving bond between parent and child, parents must continue to be a stable and emotionally available resource for their children.
Source: Source: webmd.com, “Divorce in Early Childhood May Harm Adult Ties With Parents,” Kathleen Doheny, July 16, 2013