Divorce: Harder for an Only Child?

Divorce may affect only children differently than those with siblings, according to a recent article by The Huffington Post.

The Only Child Project reported that divorce can be “more painful for the only child and her parents owing to the cohesiveness and the tight bond the parents and the child enjoyed with each other.” The child is, “the pivotal point of both parents” and may feel like “the sole cause for the continued interaction between the estranged spouses.”

Susan Newman, a social psychologist, points out that being an only child may not, however, make a child worse off than children of divorce who have siblings. She points out that only children often find “substitutes” in the form of friends or relatives to confide in. She added in a conversation with The Huffington Post, “not all siblings offer emotional support; in fact, many siblings don’t become close until they’re older, young adults and beyond.” She concludes by stating that a family’s parenting style and behaviors play a larger role in a child’s life.

Read the full article here: The Huffington Post