The traditional nuclear family is irretrievably breaking down as children are increasingly raised by relations other than their parents, the head of a Government-funded parenting group says.
The Family and Parenting Institute says grandparents, aunts and uncles are helping out more in childcare responsibilities in a form of ‘communal parenting’ as parents struggle to cope with marital breakdown and work. One in four children is now brought up in a one-parent household, the vast majority of which are led by mothers.
The Institute suggests that rising divorce rates, fewer marriages and the growth of civil partnerships mean …

Diane Sollee, SmartMarriages.com
Tango June 2007
Questions:
1) The number one predictor of divorce is:
a) Ongoing disagreement over money and financial issues.
b) The habitual avoidance of conflict.
c) Yelling and screaming during fights.
2) Couples that “go the distance”—whose marriages are successful—have fewer disagreements about the three core issues: sex, money, and housework.
True or False?
3) Couples that are constantly yelling or complaining are doomed.
True or false?
4) When discussing a problem or disagreement, it is important to:
a) Keep feelings out of the discussion, and try to stick to the facts.
b) Be sure you can accurately state your partner’s position, including his …

By Carolyn via TheGrownUpChild
Have you ever agreed with someone on a topic only to realize later, after closer consideration that you didn’t agree at all, and you wish wish wish you could go back in time and change your answer?
Just me?  Oh.
As a guest on the online radio show Coparenting Matters, one of the co-hosts Talibah asked me this question (I’m paraphrasing): “Would you agree that it’s not divorce itself but how parents can conduct themselves after divorce that hurts children?”
It’s an interesting question and something that I’ve heard before and yet never carefully considered.
It sounded …

For military children of divorce, www.thefamilytree.org can be a great source. 
When we think of those who serve our country, we picture episodes of bravery and sacrifice, punctuated by emotional experiences of separation from home and loved ones.
For those fortunate enough to return home, we imagine the joy of homecoming, of reuniting with their spouses, children, parents, and friends of concluding their service and sacrifice. This is often where our images stop - families happy to be reunited - but for many it is the beginning of a different kind of suffering.
Despite the valuable skills many …

Source
Marriage is a wonderful state.  It can bring a sense a fulfillment, belonging, love and intimacy when both people enjoy their life together. Adding children can fully complete the picture. However, so many marriages exist with disharmony, disappointment, distress and tension.  The additional stressors involved with parenting can tip a marriage into the danger zone.  Marital difficulties and custody problems, as painful and emotionally wrenching as they sometimes are, can certainly be more easily handled when both partners live in the same home or nearby.  But what if one person is in the military, deployed overseas for months …

Study Finds Divorced and Widowed Adults Have 20 Percent More Chronic Conditions than Married People
(CBS) Can divorce make you sick?
Yes, according to a new study that finds divorce and widowhood have a lingering, detrimental impact on health — even after remarriage.
The study, scheduled to be published in the September issue of the Journalof Health and Social Behavior, analyzes data from nearly 9,000 adults nationwide, ages 51 to 61, and finds those who had been divorced or widowed suffered 20 percent more chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer, than individuals who were …