Parenting is not what you expected. Children are not the joy you anticipated. You’ve turned into the type of parent you vowed you’d never become.
What went wrong?
Perhaps this is related to your expectations. You had such high hopes for what it was going to be like to raise children. In an environment of love and acceptance, you knew that children would respond with kindness and affection. You put your children as your highest priority, ahead of your own interests and even before the relationship with your spouse.
In return for that passionate commitment, you expected to be around children who were generally well behaved, creative, sensitive, bright and engaging. While your kids sometimes act those ways, they are typically self-absorbed, insensitive and even mean-spirited. Completing simple chores become battles. For all that you have given them and for all of your sacrifices, why the heck can’t they just take out the trash once a week? Your kids don’t do as they are told, and it really doesn’t seem to matter what effect this has on you and your spouse.
You have responded in ways that you could never have imagined. You’ve lost your temper and occasionally spanked your … Read More... “What If You’re Not The Parent You Wanted To Be?”
A recent study correlating divorce rates among parents with ADHD children was recently conducted by Brian T. Wymbs and William E. Pelham, Jr., at the University of Buffalo, and published in the October, 2008, issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The conclusions included that raising ADHD children can place a strain on any marriage. The results showed that 22.7% of couples with an ADHD child became divorced by the child’s 8th birthday, as contrasted with 12.6% in the control group whose child had not been diagnosed with ADHD. Interestingly, after the child reached the age of 8 years old, there was not a significant statistical difference in the divorce rates between couples with or without an ADHD child. For more information about the study, including the characteristics which may impact the likelihood of a divorce, 
What Does the Family Relations Department of the Domestic Relations Court of Montgomery County, Ohio, do for the court and for the clients of the court?
Being confronted with the fact that a divorce proceeding has been initiated can certainly be disconcerting and upsetting. As a former nurse and having primarily practiced divorce and family law for over twenty years, I would like to share some of my insights. While some parties may be knowledgeable that this action is taking place, other parties may be absolutely caught “off guard”, being unaware that anything was or is amiss. The fact that one party, either Husband or Wife, is placed on notice that a divorce proceeding has been initiated evokes many feelings and emotions. Many persons may need some assistance as they attempt to cope with the emotional roller-coaster they may be experiencing. If either party is having any or all of the following signs and/or symptoms, it may certainly be beneficial to seek some assistance from a family physician, psychologist, and/or counselor.
Divorce cases can be emotionally devastating to the parties. As a family law attorney, I not only have to evaluate the facts and give sound advice to my client, but I need to use my best set of skills to assess the client’s emotional stability, support network, and anxiety level. Sometimes this is relatively easy and in other cases it is extremely tough.
How do you talk with kids about divorce, depression or death? Many parents have no idea how to even begin such a conversation about serious topics with their children.