CHILD DEVELOPMENT AFFECTED WHEN TEXAS COUPLES DIVORCE.

In Texas or around the nation, when a marriage ends and a family is broken up, there are bound to be some people that choose to view the split from the couples’ point of view. For instance, some may wonder what caused the couple to break up, which parent will maintain custody of the kids or who will keep the house. However, recent studies have instead chosen to analyze the long-term effects that divorce can have on the children’s view of the world.

Nearly 8,000 people replied to one study which collected personal information about the participants’ habits and relationships. Over 33 percent of those surveyed indicated that their parents went through a divorce, and most of them were under the age of 10 when the split occurred. Children under five at the time of the divorce noted that they considered the emotional connection with their parents to be particularly unstable while growing up.

A second study also found that children who witness a divorce at a young age and only got to see one of their parents regularly had less confidence when forming relationships later in life. Researchers carried out an additional survey in which participants were also asked, in the event of a divorce, which parent took custody and which parent they felt most comfortable around. The results were that children who lived with their mothers felt less comfortable around their fathers, and children who lived with their fathers felt less comfortable around their mothers.

The researchers have yet to determine how these data may influence future custody disputes. Regardless, the studies strongly suggest that divorce can have a substantial impact on a child’s ability to form relationships later in life. Texas couples currently going through a divorce may want to consider this information and some of the different options that will allow their children to see both parents on a regular basis.