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Uplifting Stories: Marriages in the U.S.

Photo was taken by Mustard Seed Collective.

Many of the families in the United States have been affected by the stay-at-home order this past year. After a few months of the quarantine, news article after news article predicted that divorce would be at an all-time high. As a child of divorced parents, my heart grieved for the children of these families who now had to deal with divorce on top of all the other stressors that came from being in a global pandemic.

The Institute for Family Studies conducted research regarding marriage and divorce during the pandemic and discovered that the rate of divorce was not as bad as we had predicted. In this article, the research institute states that "for every 1,000 marriages in the last year, only 14.9 ended in divorce" (Wang, 2020). This felt so much more encouraging than what was previously predicted for 2020. Growing up with divorced parents, I would not wish that experience on anyone. So to see a downward trend of divorces is exciting.

In addition to lower divorce rates, the author states that "their marriages will likely be more stable, and their children will be more likely to grow up with two married parents, which provides them the best chance for success later in life" (Wang, 2020).

I found the article from The Institute for Family Studies exciting and relevant to early childhood because the overall well-being and health of the family impact the child. If a child experiences a divorce in early childhood like I did, they will be exposed to additional stressors and potentially trauma that will affect them as they continue to grow. However, if there is a downward trend in divorce and an upward trend in secure marriages, more children will experience the benefit of having a more secure relationship being modeled for them and fewer stressors in the home. Fewer stressors lead to better well-being and increase the chances of overall good health.

Marriage and research about marriages are significant to me on a personal level. Being a newlywed, I realize how little I know about marriage. But reading books like Eight Dates written by Dr. John and Dr. Julie Gottman or reading articles about marriage (usually from The Gottman Institute, because their research and data are amazing), I feel more confident when things get tough. I grew up with behaviors I learned by observing my parents that were not the healthiest for my own marriage. For example, I (thankfully) learned a few months before I got married that my husband cannot read my mind, no matter how much I think he should be able to. That was something I had to unlearn and let go of so that my own marriage can thrive and I can communicate my needs/wants better. We don't have kids, but when we do, I feel that the research we read and the hard work my husband and I have put into our marriage will have a positive ripple effect on our own kids.


Source:

Wang, W. (2020). The Institute for Family Studies. Retrieved from: https://ifstudies.org/blog/number-1-in-2020-the-us-divorce-rate-has-hit-a-50-year-low

Comments

  1. billyMay 30, 2021 at 9:13 AM

    Wow you sound like an amazing wife!

    ReplyDelete
  2. billyMay 30, 2021 at 9:14 AM

    Wow you sound like an amazing wife!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Teach the ChildrenMay 30, 2021 at 4:33 PM

    My parents split 6 months after COVID hit and it messed me up and I'm grown. I turned down my fiancé proposal down four times because I was scared we would grow tired of each other like my parents did. He told me several times that we will not end up like my parents if we communicate properly and he was right. On the days that our communication is poor I be ready to give up but he never let me. Congrats newlywed and I wish you both the best.

    ReplyDelete

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