When you get a divorce, it divides your family and can mean you lose some family members. That’s short-lived, though, if you end up getting remarried, according to a news article. Divorce is actually responsible for making American families bigger than ever, growing them up to 66 percent thanks to stepparents, parents, half and step-siblings and others coming together into one family.
While that’s great news for people who love a big family, it’s also a problem. It actually has the potential to make it harder for people to grow close to one another and makes it difficult to know how you’re related to people. For example, if your stepparent’s sister or brother comes over, is that person now an aunt or uncle? What about if your stepparent’s child has a grandchild. Are you a great aunt or uncle?
Divorce has expanded what it means to be a family. With a growing divorce rate in America, this isn’t going to change any time soon. The most common problem with this is that people in these families aren’t sure of their obligations. Do you have to buy presents for stepcousins’ birthdays? Do you have to invite your stepparent’s adult child to your wedding even though you never met him or her? These are questions that have to be addressed on a family-by-family basis.
When you’re first getting divorced, your future in another relationship may not be on your mind. This information is just to remind you that a divorce has an impact in many ways, including growing your family and extending your relationships.
Source: Bloomberg, “Divorce Is Making American Families 66% Bigger,” Ben Steverman, Dec. 18, 2017