Blood is thicker than water.

by: Francis Young

                                                                        Family

      Marriage, while not necessary to some, is the crucial beginning for many familes. From instilling support, fundamentals, and social development, family is the basis of society.

      Parents, whether biological or step, play huge roles in a child's upbringing. Studies show that children from a two parent household are less likely to have behavioral problems. A married couple with low-conflict problems are able to steer their children's directions in better areas. With single parents, a child might not have the same attention, due to the parents increased time consumption in work. This would be due to only having a single income for the household.

       The institution of marriage is supposed to be a serious bond between two people, but the divorce rate has increased in the past few decades. This is due to the revolution of marriage. Before, marriage was about finding someone to start a family with and having and raising children. Now, we have this idea of individualism which is solely based on feelings towards the spouse. While I do believe people should love the ones they marry, they should also take the children's development into consideration. When raising children, the parents should be able to work on their relationship and compromise, so the kids can have a better life. Many couples do not see the long-term damages to a family when they split up. Sometimes, divorce is unavoidable, and I understand that. But since divorce is always a choice, does it always have to be the first or second option?

      If couples took more time to build a stronger, family-friendly relationship, and were financially stable before considering marriage, maybe we wouldn't have an increasing divorce rate. With less divorce rates, there could be more dual-income housing. This would lead to a better development for children in society because they would not have to worry about mom and dad splitting up or always arguing. They would not have to worry about where there next meal is coming from, since mom would not be the only source of income. While single parenting can prove to be successful in some cases, I believe having both parents will ensure more stability in a child’s life.