Many pay attention to celebrity divorces. While this could be entertaining for some, for the parties involved, it is difficult for those going through it. Having the details of a divorce in the public eye could be seen as a negative event, but some seek to turn the process into a positive experience.
Residents in Maryland may have heard about the controversial statements made by actress Kate Winslet, who is perhaps best known for her leading role in the blockbuster “Titanic”. Winslet, discussing her personal life in an interview, stated that she thought her two previous divorces may have actually been a good thing for her children, since struggling builds character.
“I think it is very important to teach your children to struggle on some level. I would honestly say that I wouldn’t change a thing. Even all the bad bits,” Winslet said in her interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK. Her comments caused a good bit of commotion and faced plenty of scrutiny from experts in the field of child psychology who disagree that teaching children to “struggle” by going through a divorce is wrong on a fundamental level.
Regardless of whether people agree or disagree with Kate Winslet, a distinction should be drawn between healthy divorces and those which are handled poorly. Not every divorce is the same by a long shot, and much of it depends on the conduct of the parents. Depending on the situation and how the parents treat each other and their children, divorce could actually be a healthy thing.
Parents who feel trapped in a loveless marriage and stay together for the children, may not actually be doing anyone any favors. But if that unhappy couple were to get an amicable divorce, stay in close contact with their children and set a good example of how to behave in tough situations, then yes, perhaps divorce could be a good thing.
Most people would probably agree that a messy divorce or child custody battle, with fighting parents and emotional sabotage that sticks the children in the horrible position of “choosing sides” is never healthy. This is not the kind of struggle that parents should aspire to teach, nor the kind of divorce that they should aspire to have. Divorcing with dignity for the sake of the children is something every parent should aspire to accomplish, and with the help an experienced Maryland family law attorney, it can be very possible.
Source: The Economic Times “Parents’ divorce good for children: Kate Winslet,” Feb. 2, 2015