Children should not be involved in parents' fights. Children need to love both parents because it makes them feel better about themselves. When parents divorce, they become overwhelmed and feel less than whole. They feel alone and miss the companionship and help with responsibilities that were part of the marriage. They may count on children to fill the gap and look to children for emotional support or to be the little mother or man of the house.
Children feel used when thrust into the role of being the parent's friend or helpmate.
They often must grow up before they are ready and miss out on being children. The Money Game Parents often have a financial crunch when they become single parents. They sometimes let children know how worried they are when bills come due or are overdue. They blame the other parent for their money problems. This behavior scares the children and makes them feel insecure.