In 1990, only about 10 percent of marriage dissolutions involved couples in their 50s or older. However, according to statistics from 2012, the number of gray divorce filings is now closer to 25 percent. While many often express concern over how minor children will adapt after their parents split, new research seems to show that adult children may also struggle with their parents’ separation. Since marriages end in every state, Georgia families may also benefit from the information.
Researchers and counselors are reporting that, in spite of the fact that they are grown, many adults seem to experience difficulty processing the reality that their parents have chosen to seek a divorce. Women especially struggle to adapt to the new circumstances concerning their families. One reason researchers and others believe that it is harder than previously thought, is that adult offspring have attachments to traditions and memories that involved both of their parents.
Additionally, the adult children may find it difficult to adjust to meeting new significant others in their parents’ lives as well as planning special occasions, if the former spouses are not cordial to one another. Another struggle may be finding emotional support from others who do not understand the emotions they are experiencing. There may also be financial repercussions if promised monies are consumed by the separation proceedings.
One social worker has claimed that, while the divorce of their parents may be difficult initially, as long as they seek compassion from others and are willing to set appropriate boundaries with possibly bitter parents, adult children will survive the emotional whirlwind. Georgia parents who are contemplating divorce — no matter the ages of their children — may choose to shield their children as much as possible from the emotional aspects of the process. There are many resources available that can assist in a divorce, ensuring that the family can emerge as unscathed as possible after the process is over.
Source: yahoo.com, “Why It’s So Hard for Adults When Their Parents Divorce“, Rachel Nuwer, July 30, 2014