These days, families come in all shapes and sizes. Some children live in two-parent homes, while others live exclusively with one parent. Others, yet, may spend time living in the homes of each parent, and there are a lot of differing opinions out there regarding what type of living situation might help an adolescent fare best.
Research on the subject detailed in Time reveals some enlightening information about what types of living arrangements typically benefit children who have divorced parents the most. The research, which pertains to a group of nearly 150,000 youths in either sixth or ninth grades, refutes a popular belief that parents may cause their kids unnecessary trauma or anxiety by making them move back and forth between homes.
Research showed that children who came from nuclear families, or those where both parents still lived together in the family home, were generally least likely to experience a range of psychosomatic issues. Children who had divorced parents, but who spent some of their time living with each parent, tended to fare better in many areas than their peers who also had divorced parents, but lived with just one parent.
Generally, kids who had divorced parents, but whose parents shared custody over them, experienced fewer psychosomatic health problems, such as stomachaches, headaches or sleep issues. They were also less likely than their peers who lived with one parent or the other to say that they felt dizzy, tense or sad. For children of divorce who did experience psychosomatic issues, sleeping problems were the most common type of issue experienced. Also, girls were more likely to report feeling sad than their male peers. Learn more about family law on our webpage.
