11/18/2015
When people ask, “Where did you grow up?” I often reply with a smile, “On the I-25 freeway!” I lived in one city with my mom and visited my dad every other weekend in another. My parents divorced when I was a baby and never lived in the same city after that.
I look back and remember good times with both of my parents present at piano recitals and graduation; however, I also look back and remember how hard it was for me when they argued “through me” about child support, paying for camp, and where I would spend Christmas. I also remember one of my parents being very emotional when I would leave to go to the other home and one of my parents constantly bad-mouthing the other.
Over the years, we have worked with teens and adult children of divorce who were raised in two homes. Many times, they literally wanted to shout, “STOP PUTTING ME IN THE MIDDLE!!!” Unfortunately, most kids never have the courage to speak up and share their voice on these matters. On behalf of hundreds of adult children of divorce, we offer this important insight into the heart and mind of a child of divorce.