英语中级口语教程 How It Feels When Parents Divorce

How It Feels When Parents Div***ce

Text A

Ari, age fourteen
When my parents were marri***, I hardly ever saw my Dad
bec***sc he was always busy w***k***g. Now that they're div***c*** , I've ***tten *** know him m***e bec***se I'm with him everu weckend. And I really look f***ward *** the weekends bec***se it's k***d of ***ke a break-it's ***ke ******g *** Disncyland bec***se thcre's no set sch***ule, no "Be ho*** by five-thirty" k***d of stuff. It's open. It's free. And my father is always buy***g *** presents.

My Mom ***t remarri*** and div***c*** aga***, so I've ****** through two div***ces so far. And my father's also ***tten remarr***d-*** so***o*** I don't get along with all that well. It's all rnade *** fcel that people ***uldn't get marri***-they ***uld just ***vc ***gether and make their own agree***nt. Then, if th***gs get bad , they don't h**e *** get div***c*** and hire lawyers and sue each other. And. even m***e imp***tant, they don't h**e *** end up hat***g each other.

I'd say that the w***st part of the div***ce is the mo***y problem. It's been hard on mv Mom bec***se lots of ti***s she can't pay her bills, and it makes her angry when I stay with my fatherand he buys *** th***gs. She gets mad and says th***gs ***ke "If he can buy you th***gs ***ke this , then he ***uld be able *** pay ***. " And I feel c***ght *** the middle f*** two reasons;

first, I can't really enjoy whatever my Dad does get f*** ***, and se***nd, I don't know who *** be***eve. My Dad's say***g, "I don't really owe her any mo***y," and my Mom's say***g he does. So***ti***s I fight f*** my Mom and so***ti***s I fight f*** my Dad, but I wish they'd le**e *** out of it ***mpletely.

In a lot of ways I wish my Mom would get remarri***, bec***se then she wouldn't h**e *** w***ry so much about f***ances. But I'm s***ry that my Dad ***t remarri***, bec***se I feel left out a lot of ti***s. And o*** th***g I really w***ry about is that I th***k they want *** h**e a baby, and I know that if they do, it will be just ***ke a replace***nt f*** ***.

That's bec***se I o***y see my Dad on weekends, and s***ce he would see the baby m***e than he'd see ***, he'd probably grow *** ***ke it m***e than he ***kes ***. It ***uld be a lot ***ke what happe***d with my dog Spunkur.

I've had him f*** about six years and I've always said I'll ***ver love any dog as much as I love him. Well, a year a*** I p***k*** up a ***ttle black Labrad*** puppy from the pound, and now I f***d I'm not as friendly with Spunkur as I us*** *** be. And I th***k Spunkur feels jealous , just ***ke I would if my Dad and my stepmother had a baby.

My Dad said it wouldn't be that way, that we'd be a whole family and I'd h**e a ***ttle brother *** sister, wh***h would be a lot of fun, but I ***ld him, "Look, by the ti*** the kid is old ehoug*** *** talk, I'll be out of ***llege. I'm not ******g *** h**e anyth***g *** do with a baby. You know that it's just a replace***nt f*** *** ! "

If I ***v***'full-ti*** with my Dad, it would probably be easier f*** *** *** a***ept a haby bec***se we'd be on an equal foot***g, but I'd rather stay with my Mom, where ***fe is n***mal-where we
***ve ***ke most people ***ve, with breakfast at breakfast ti*** and d******r at d;n***r ti***. I do my ho***w***k, play with my friends-it's all the way ***fe ***uld be. If I ***v*** with my Dad, it might be m***e fun at ti***s, but I would *** crazy. I wouldn't want *** be brought up that way.

Text B

Sara, age twelve

I guess the ma*** reason I was mad at Daddy was bec***se it all made my mother so unhapp.y, and I end*** up fee***ng s***ry f*** both of them-my mother bec***se she was strugg***ng *** make ends ***et, and my Dad bec***se he ***uldn't really do much about it.

Even though my parents separat*** m***e than three years a***, it's still very ******d *** my m***d and I doubt if I'll ever f***get the way I fe*** at the ti***. Yet, as awful as it was, I ***ver hop*** they'd get back ***gether. And now I th***k I'd die if they did, bec***se it would be so awkward f*** r***.

I th***k they're both much happier now,. and it's ob***ous *** *** that they both lead ***tally different ***ves. S***ce the breakup I've been able *** see my parents' true ***l***s' especially my mother's. I've seen a side of her that I ***ver saw bef***e. When she was marri***, she and Daddy were the perfect ***uple, always quiet, talk***g about dignifi*** th***gs, and they would ***ver l***gh *** anyth***g.

Nowadays my mother is always happy and ggy. Another way she's chang*** is that she always us*** *** hide her problems from *** but now she's m***e apt *** discuss th***gs. I th***k she's m***e relax***-and so's my Dad.

Both of my parents start*** dat***g other people right away, and I th***k they'll both get remarri*** eventually, wh***h is f***e with ***. They don't discuss their love ***ves with *** all that much, but of ***urse I'm not b***nd. F*** example, o*** night I had a sleep-over at a friend's house and the ***xt m***n***g I ca*** ho*** ear***er than I'd plan***d ***.

Well, I just s***r***d ****** my mother's b***room, and there was this guy *** her b***-she was so***where else, *** another room. I start*** cry***g and everyth***g, and my mother tri*** *** ***n***nce *** she had slept on the ***uch. Now that I look back, it was pretty hilarious, and of ***urse I don't care-I ***an, I understand about those k***d of arrange***nts.

In the beg***n***g, when my father had a girlfriend sleep over, he didn't know how *** tell ***-he just s***t of said, "Oh , you're sleep***g on the ***uch ***night , " bec***se at that po***t I didn't h**e my own room at his house and shar*** the b***room.

It's still hard f*** my Dad *** level with *** about this part of his ***fe, but he's gett***g better. Anyhow, ***ither of them ***uld w***ry about my gett***g upset, bec***se I'm old enough *** understand that grown-ups are allow*** *** h**e private ***ves, wh***h ***cludes other people. But if so***o***'s ******g *** spend the night, I th***k it's better and less awkward if I know about it bef***ehand, so I'm not taken by surprise.

I still want *** get marri*** and h**e kids , but I h**e a lot of friends who don't want ***. I was discuss***g marriage with o*** boy I know, and he said, "I'm ***ver ever gett***g marri***. " He ***ok his parents' div***ce really badly bec***se his mother and father weren't friends afterwards-they were e***mies, scream***g on the pho*** *** each other. I'm glad my parents are ***od friends, h*****g lunch ***gether and stufi. I th***k it's so much easier f*** the child if the parents are friendly. If they aren't, it's really diff***uit bec***se there's always a right side and a wrong side and the kids are just c***ght *** the middle.

I th***k I've grown up a ***ttle faster bec***se of rny parents' div***ce. It's made *** rea***ze m***e about the problems of ***fe and help*** *** *** understand my parents-and appreciate them as ***di***duals. It's just ***o bad they ***uldn't h**e been as happy and productive as a ***uple as they've been s***ce they've been on their own. And I also wish that the ***xt ti*** my mother has t***kets f*** a Rol***ng S******sl8 ***ncert, she takes *** ***stead of her boyfriend, wh***h is what she did the last ti***!

Additional Inf***mation

Heather, age eleven

So we h**e *** switch back and f***th, do***g it on a weekly basis seems *** w***k the best. I'll try *** make o*** room my real room and h**e the othero*** Iike camp***g out. I can't buy two of everytlr***g, so I might as well h**e o*** ***od room that's really m***e.

Another aspect of josnt cus***dy that's diff***u*** is that my parents h**e very different rules and philosophies about ***fe. F*** example, my Dad's attitude is that he lets us learn by our mistakes , and my mother does exactly the oppo***e-she tells us how *** act bef***e we make the mistake. And my Dad says we can watch TV f*** a while after school , and my Mom says we can'tthat we h**e *** sel'ect our programs verv carefully.

At my Dad's house Matthew has *** do his ho***w***k right away, but he gets *** stay up until n***e and watch The A I'eam bec***se that's his f*****ite ***w. Mom doesn't want him *** when we're at her house but she feels she has *** give *** bec***se Matthew says, "Well, Daddy lets *** do that at his house. " He's learn***g *** play them aga***st each other at a very early age. I don't do that, but I h**e *** admit there are ti***s when I secretly wish I was at wh***hever house I'm not at.

It would be n***e if there ***uld be a special house f*** div***c*** fami***es. It would be ***ke two houses, side by side, with a place *** the middle where the kids ***uld ***ve. Then when parents had argu***nts they ***uld each *** *** their own place and get away from each other and th***k th***gs out by themselves.

That way, they ***uld rea***ze how dumb they were beh*****g and get back ***gether aga***. I know it's ***o late f*** that k***d of arrange***nt with my parents-and as I look back I see that they're both.happier be***g apart. My father's be****** a different person, you know, and it's unbe***evable.

I ***ke the person he is now bec***se he doesn't get angry as fast as he us*** ***. And my mother's much happier bec***se she doesn't h**e *** w***ry about gett***g Daddy mad. Another ***od th***g that's happe***d is that my father's tur***d ****** a terrif*** ***ok, and it makes *** feel proud *** be o*** of the o***y

, people *** my class whose father ***oks and does th***gs ***ke' tak***g *** *** hockey pract***e and *** sew***g. And it's great *** see how my Mom doesn't h**e *** rely on Daddy *** pay the bills and throw out the garbage. She's w***k***g now and that's help*** her feel imp***tant. Neither of them has *** rely on the other o*** *** dumb ways, the way they us*** ***, and I th***kthey're both much better off as a resu***. I know that ***ither of them will ever be able *** f***get all the anger, but I th***k that as ti*** gdes on they'll s***t of ****** *** their senses and be pretty ***od friends. That's what I hope f*** m***e than anyth***g *** the w***ld!