Are your parents divorced? Were your raised by a single parent? How has it affected you?

Answer 1

My parents got divorced when I was 10 years old. My dad pretty much walked out on me, my sister and my brother when I was 10. Up until I was 20 I didn't really talk to my father and respected my mother tremendously. My mom always told me how my father didn't support us and how I should never be like my father. The whole time I was growing up my Dad was around but he never really was a "father" figure in my life. When I was 20 my brother died in a car accident and my whole life was turned upside down. My brother lived with my dad, my sister and I lived with my mom. My Dad felt guilty that he wasn't a good father and If he wouldn't have let my brother live with him my brother would still be alive today. What I found out was the whole time I was becoming a man, my Dad sat back and watch me spurn him, because he knew I was better off living with my mom, (and her new husband) then with him. See what I didn't know was that my mom cheated on my dad, twice. My dad took her back, but after the second time he left. From the time I was 10 to the time I was 20 I thought my Dad was a loser, but for Ten year he took it on the chin, because he knew I would be better off living with my Mom and step dad than with him struggling to make a living. He did this so we didn't have a soured perception of our mother. That is true father in my book.
My mom is a great mother, but a terrible wife to my Dad. If anything I learned that nothing is ever as it seems and there is always another side to every story.
Overall I think I am a better person for knowing this and am able to understand people better because of it.

Answer 2

I was raised by my mom (with the help of my grandma). It affected me in so many ways, but really, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. My dad was (and still is) a total jerk and I'm SO glad I didn't live with him when I was growing up.

For most people, divorce means two houses and a little extra moving around. The people that got through their parents' divorce the best were the ones whose parents still lived in the same town together, just different houses. I'd say that's the best solution.

If you're worried about your kids and you want a divorce, I'd say go for it if that's what you want. I would way rather live in two houses than listen to my parents argue all the time and try to keep it a secret from me.

Answer 3

My parents were divorced when I was a year old. Even though my parents had a custody agreement I was pretty much raised be my mom. Their divorce really didn't effect me. I know that I had a happy childhood because my parents weren't together. (not all divorces are hard on the children). I don't like my dad but that has nothing to do with him and my mom splitting up, I am sure that I wouldn't have got along with my dad even if my parents had stayed married.

Answer 4

I think that the ideal from a childs perspective is for the mum and dad to be together. Unfortunately this can't always be the case. It's far better to have two parents apart but happy than to have two parents together and unhappy. They cannot possibly hide it from the children. It would be an ideal world if seperated parents could put their children first and put aside their quarrels but this is so often not the case. I see parents using theur children as ammunition nearly every day and it's saddening that it's mainly the mothers that have the advantage. Fathers get a really raw deal a great deal of the time and don't get to see their kids because the mother won't let them. It goes to court but the courts don't really make sure that dad gets to see the kids. So the kids lose out in the end.

Answer 5

My father died when I was 9. My mother finished raising the 6 kids who were left in the house. How is affected me is this. I vowed to do everything I could to make sure my kids were raised in a 2 parent house. I did that by being very careful about who I married and waiting a few years before we started to have kids. I wanted to be sure. Then when I hit the age my father was when he died I took a long look at my health and lost 55 pounds. So far so good, my wife and I are very happy and my health is much better then my father's was. Hopefully it works out and I am around a lot longer.

Answer 6

My parents divorced when I was 8 yo. I was raised by my mom and her parents with a visit to "dad" every summer.

It has made me stay in a lousy relationship way too long because I don't want my kids to go through what I did.

Answer 7

my parents were divorced when i was 5 and my mom married her first love when i was 7. me and my sister were always fighting with my step father till i turned 18 and realized he is NOT a bad man. my mom was always on our side even if he was right and it hurt his feelings a lot. My real father died in accident when i was 13. We saw each other couple times a year but were not that much of friends. Now, i am so thankful to my mom and step father that they made a great job and i know it was really hard for them. i love them crazy both and some people don't know he is my step

Answer 8

My parents divorced when I was 11. I would say that I do have relationship and trust issues, but I do not think that I could blame it on their divorce as there were alot of problems in the marriage.

Answer 9

My parents divorced when I was 4, and my mom mostly raised us (my Dad only saw us when he cared to, which was only about once a month). My mom was a great role model for all us kids, and from her I learned I can be a smart, strong woman who can take care of anything.

Answer 10

Yes, my parents are divorced. My mom has been married 6 times and yes it affected me!