To state the obvious, having separated parents is a really complicated situation, but sometimes it's the best one. Why? Simply because it's better to have separated parents than to see them fighting all the time. Even if sometimes the split between your parents remains a trauma, there are some good things coming with this change. Here is a list of these things:
- more gifts at Christmas:
that point is for the families which celebrate Christmas, so if you don't do that party, there are maybe other parties/ traditions where people exchange gifts in your family. Anyway, when you have separated parents, it means you celebrate christmas twice, and if the parents of your parents are separated, you can celebrate christmas 3 or 4 times a year (that's my case). It also means you can not rest during christmas holidays but honestly, who rest during christmas holidays, or holidays in general ?
- the ability to know two different universes:
I could have said worlds but no, we're literally talking about universes. If your parents choose to separate, it's for a good reason. So if you end up being in the middle of your separated parents, it means they don't agree anymore on their way of life, which also means that you're going to discover new things. For example,your parents are going to have totally different friends (I'm talking about my experience so don't blame me if it's not your case) which will allow you to discover new habits, new cultures, new food, etc... To sum it up, if you have separated parents, you have two different ways of life, which leads us to the third point, which is....
- being very adaptable:
As I presviously explained, having two houses means having two ways of life. Trust me, this will be a significant asset for many other situations in your life. It means you will not be shocked when a friend present you his family and they don't work like yours at all, it means a move will not disturb you to much, it means your capacity to make big changes in your life may improve...
- spending time alone with one of your parents:
As a child of separated parents, I can tell you it's a very good thing if you can spend time with only one of your parents. It means you can tell them something you wouldn't have said with your other parent. It's also a good opportunity to do things that the other parent wouldn't have liked to do or to discuss stuff that the other parent wouldn't have discussed. Roughly speaking, it gives you more freedom on this point.
- 5th and last point: being an expert of transportations:
Buses, trains, car, plains, car sharing...public and private transportations are no longer a secret for you. If they live in 2 different cities, your parents were first transporting you by car. Then, you started to take the bus or the train. It's precious time that you can use to do your homeworks (lol) or different things like reading, listening music, etc.. Knowing public transportations also means you're able to pack your stuff for a weekend in five minutes, ten minutes for a week of holidays, and 30 mins for a month of summer break in average, which will be useful for other trips.
To conclude I'd say that no matter how much you suffered during the separation of your parents, it contributed to build the person you are now and that's good because it makes you unique. Don't hesitate to share your experience in the comments section : ) Eva
