Marriage: The Fundamental Building Block of Society

Family is the fundamental building block for all human civilizations. The institution of marriage is beneficial to the individual and society. The health of our culture is linked to the health and well-being of marriage. Unfortunately, the standard of lifelong, traditional marriage as the foundation of family life in our nation is under attack. The breakdown of a marriage not only effects the adults but the children as well. Much of the value mothers and fathers bring to their children is due to the fact that females and males are different. The cooperative relationship of male and female marriage blends their differences to provide a child with balance and understanding. There is more than 30 years of social science studies to support the

Some parenting specialists believe that children living in chaotic or unhappy marriages learn bad parenting techniques, and feel that these children would benefit in the long run by their parents divorcing. However, one leading authority on the family forefront Judith Wallerstein the author of “The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce” disagrees. She theorizes that keeping the family intact is of the most importance that even if unhappy or lonely, parents who are able to remain civil (not exposing the kids to fight, coldness or extreme disagreements) provide a better option than divorce. However parents who can commit to living together respectfully when actually desiring to be apart are rare, as this often means putting their own happiness and perceived fulfillment “on hold” until the kids are older or have left the

In other words if a parent is abusive (physically and/or emotionally), has a substance abuse problem or causes constant chaos within the home environment, children often benefit from the separation. Many children are ashamed to bring friends into their traumatic home and begin to stay longer at others’ homes in order to avoid the turmoil. When conflicting parents divorce, they tend to be happier, or at least less miserable. The regression of stress allows them to spend more quality time with their children, and the family can become a solid unit once more. Although during the first few years after divorce, children have increased rates of anxiety,agression, difficulties in school, and anti-social behavior than their two-parent counterparts. Since the decrease in income and adult supervision may be partly responsible for these issues, the effects can be offset and resolved with sufficient income, parental supervision, and consistent social networks (McLanahan and Sandefur