Jeff Zaslow points out that there is less drama and histrionics surrounding divorced couples than there used to be. Emailing the Ex in the Wall St. Journal.
"Sure, the same battles still go on. But many ex-spouses these days are finding civil ways to interact. They're "talking" by email to keep emotions in check. They're heeding the lessons of earlier generations of divorced couples, and they're paying attention to research about broken families. In 2005, there are opportunities for improved relations that weren't possible earlier in the divorce boom.
The Internet acts as a moderator according to one family court judge
We're learning from each other.
Divorced couples today have also discovered useful low-tech maneuvers. For instance, knowing that arguments can flare when a parent picks up a child at his ex's house, some now make the exchange in public places. "If they do it at McDonald's, everything is out in the open and they're less likely to raise their voices," says Lawrence Ganong, a University of Missouri professor who has studied stepfamilies for 30 years.
When Dr. Ganong began his research, people assumed divorce was always an adversarial process, he says. "We're much more sophisticated about divorce now. Because there are more people who've been divorced, people ask each other, 'What worked for you?'
Some of the best life advice comes from asking someone who's been through what you're going through, What worked for you.
Posted by Jill Fallon at November 6, 2005 9:26 PM | Permalink