H4HK FAQs: Am I The Only One Going Through This?

H4HK FAQs are designed to answer questions kids and teens ask when facing difficult situations and circumstances in their lives.

Divorce is hard, and as a child divorce you may wonder if anyone else understands what you are going through.  Well, the answer is yes…and….no!

Unfortunately, lots of kids each year experience the divorce of their parents.  In fact, since 1972 roughly one million kids per year, or more, have seen their parents divorce (sometimes more than once).  Forty percent of children under the age of 18 do not live with their married biological (or adoptive) mom and dad (that’s 2 out of every five people under the age of 18).

So, the answer to the question, “Am I the only one going through this?” is no.  There are lots of other kids who are also experiencing the divorce of their parents each year.  Chances are you have cousins or friends or neighbors or schoolmates whose parents are divorced.  Plus, the divorce rate (that is the number of people getting divorced) has been high for years.  That means there are also tons of adults out there who went through the divorce of their parents when they are kids.  Many of these adults can relate to what you are going through, and have the experience to help you in your own journey.

So, there are lots of other people who know what it is like when parents divorce.  But, only you understand what it is like for YOUR parents to get divorced.  While other people may understand what it’s like to have divorced parents, only you live in your skin each day and know what is going on in your mind and in your heart.  Find a trusted adult or friend to talk to about those thoughts and feelings.  Keeping all of that inside doesn’t help you or your parents or anyone else.  Just because there are a lots of children of divorce doesn’t mean that anyone knows exactly what you are going through unless you tell them!