Let's hear it for marriage--yea! <P>Quote from Michele's new book <A HREF="http://www.weiner-davis.com/ubb/Forum58/HTML/000001.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.weiner-davis.com/ubb/Forum58/HTML/000001.html</A> <P>Divorce stinks! Why? Recent findings about the long-term effects of divorce speak for themselves. <P>? Except in very extreme conflict-ridden families- and most families do not fit this criterion- children are better off when their parents stay married. <BR>? Children are more likely to finish school and avoid problems such as teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, and delinquent behavior. Plus, they are more likely to have good marriages themselves.<BR>? Even if a parent is happier as a result of divorce, there is no “trickle down effect.” Children still struggle emotionally regardless of how the parent feels. <BR>? Married men make better fathers. They are more likely to provide guidance, role modeling, and financial support.<BR>? Marriage is good for most adults. As compared to single, widowed or divorced people, married people are healthier, have better sex lives, they engage in fewer high-risk activities such as substance abuse, they live longer and they are happier!<BR>? Depression is almost three times as prevalent in women who divorce once, and four times as prevalent in women who divorce twice than in women who have never divorced.<BR>? A random sample of over 8,600 adults revealed the percentages of those who felt lonely. The results are as follows. Marital status and % reporting loneliness:<BR> Married- 4.6<BR> Never Married- 14.5 <BR> Divorced 20.4<BR> Widowed- 20.6<BR> Separated- 29.6 (Page and Cole)<BR>? Those in healthy marriages tend to be better, more productive employees. Married men miss work less often.<BR>? Divorce increases the cost of many public health and social service programs.<BR>Single-parent households often mean children are raised in poverty or on public aid. <BR>? A single mother’s standard of living almost always decreases significantly after divorce.<BR>? As compared to 50% of first marriages that end in divorce, 60% of second marriages end in divorce.

Interesting Jenny. Especially the trickle down effect. I would think a happy parent would be a better parent. You know? Not always down and sad. Guess I was wrong!<P>love<BR>Debi<P>------------------<BR>Imagine....