Transitions into Remarriage

I was really interested to read the section in our book about remarriage and the relational transitions that people go through in the process. I was especially interested in reading about the relationships that people have with their ex-spouses. My mom is a lawyer who does mostly family law, so she has to work with people going through divorces, and she always tells me how hard it can be on the children when their parents maintain a hostile relationship throughout the divorce. Now I understand why this could be a problem: due to homeostasis, many couples retain some of what were likely unhealthy ways of interacting with each other even after they divorce. This can put a lot of strain on the children's life and family relationships. I think it is important for professionals to work with both parents and the child during this transition, so that they can work out communication patterns that are more civil and helpful towards raising their child. As we have talked about, having a strong family is more about positive communication and other important characteristics than it is about having a certain family constellation.