A frightening truism is commonly accepted in counseling circles: Children whose parents divorce are themselves likely to get divorced.

During their early teen years, children of divorce say, "I will never marry." However, they’re just as likely as anyone else to marry and, in fact, they usually marry at an earlier age. Their early marriage and immaturity might account for some of the reasons they are more likely to divorce.

Studies show that the parental divorce does have long-term impact in the adult life. Many people who had indicated they were likely to consider divorce as a solution to marital problems said, "It’s a constant battle, and many times I’ve wanted to run--just as my parents did." But some have held to their commitments as they remembered how it felt to be a child from a divorced family.

Children of divorce have been molded into a dysfunctional shape by their parents’ divorce. That shape can be temporarily changed, but unless a very strong, warm reshaping of their lives takes place, they are likely to snap back to the same dysfunctional shape and repeat the patterns and escapes of their parents’ divorce.

But such reshaping is possible! You can begin to remold your dysfunctional childhood so that you can take on the shape of a healthy adult.