My parents’ divorce changed my life
The day I found out my parents were divorcing was the single most impactful moment of my young life. I was 10. It was Saturday. The sun was bright. The soft suede brown couch I was sitting on changed shades depending on which way I swiped my hand. My dad started the “family meeting” with these words:
“Your mother and I have decided to get a divorce.”
A hard lump formed in my throat. My heart started beating faster. Tears welled up before I could stop them. I started to cry uncontrollably. My dad looked at me and said:
“Why are you crying Everett? There’s nothing to cry about.”
My mom quickly responded to my dad with:
“Really? There’s nothing to cry about?”
My dad then announced he was moving out and the next couple of years went something like this. My parents divorced. I received no help or counseling. I became a juvenile delinquent. Skipped school. Smoked pot. Turned to pot and alcohol for comfort. It’s an all too common story.
As with most adults, unfortunately, I have been on both ends of divorce. Twice as a child/teen and twice as a parent. I know how painful and difficult each day can be, both for parents and their kids. Like most parents in this situation, my mom and dad were dealing with one of the most difficult transitions of their lives. And the first time my own kids went through a divorce, I didn’t do much better than my parents did.
But those experiences lit a fire and I started learning everything I could about how to help kids going through a divorce. I developed a program just for kids called I’m a K.I.D. (Kid in Divorce). While developing the program, I read extensively and interviewed numerous child psychologists and trauma counselors. The MyJourney MyJournal was born from that experience.
Over 900 kids have gone through the I’m a K.I.D. program, during which time I have seen how much the MyJourney MyJournal helped parents, as well as kids. Parents desperately want a way to help their kids through the divorce without taxing their already depleted resources. MyJourney MyJournal was the affordable lifesaver they were looking for.
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Divorce can be traumatic for kids, but it doesn’t have to be. As father to five kids, ages 15−32, I’m determined not to let a single parent or child go through divorce alone. So whether you’re the parent, the kid, a grandparent, a teacher or family friend, I want to say Thank You for caring enough to seek help during this challenging time.
Do you have any questions, comments or concerns? If so, contact us so we can hear what you have to say.
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