RT Book, Section
A1 Jellinek, Michael
A2 Rudolph, Colin D.
A2 Rudolph, Abraham M.
A2 Lister, George E.
A2 First, Lewis R.
A2 Gershon, Anne A.
SR Print(0)
ID 6731817
T1 Chapter 21. Family Discord and Divorce
T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 22e
YR 2011
FD 2011
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-149723-7
LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=6731817
RD 2024/04/25
AB Chronic  parental  discord  and  divorce  can  have  profound,  long-lasting  effects  on  children.  A  child’s  expectation  of  being  loved,  cared  for,  and  a  central  priority  of  both  parents  is  often  shattered  by  seeing  parents  preoccupied  by  their  personal  anger,  possibly  violent  to  each  other,  frequently  sad  or  depressed,  and  unavailable  (emotionally  and/or  physically).  If  the  tension  leads  to  divorce,  and  especially  if  the  discord  continues  after  divorce,  children  may  feel  insecure,  suffer  diminished  self-esteem,  and  not  trust  that  love  and  attachment  to  others  is  reliable.  The  severity  of  long-term  consequences  may  be  considerably  ameliorated  if  parents  can  focus  on  their  love  of  the  child  in  the  midst  of  their  own  discord  and  loss.