People often see life with divorced parents as a constant struggle, but as a kid who has lived with divorced parents, it hasn’t always been a struggle. Going between both parents’ houses when they lived over an hour apart was the worst part of elementary school. Being in the car and moving between houses often made me feel neither was my home. The younger me didn’t see anything wrong with how I was living and the situation I was in.

Up until middle school, things were easy, but once 8th grade was finishing up, it grew hard to manage a social life, keep both my parents happy, and go back and forth. 

Once I talked with my friend about what was going on with my mother, I was made aware that her tendency to be mad about me leaving to my dads and her often leaving me at times wasn’t normal.

I was then made aware she was being a poor parent towards me. This was an eye-opener that my life wasn’t normal compared to others that I was around. That was a turning event in my life and when my school found out about my home life I was sent to live with my dad here in McPherson.

But soon my mother became displeased with this change and started to try and manipulate me into thinking this was the wrong choice. Having to choose between both my parents destroyed me. I was fighting to keep my mom happy and living somewhere I felt cared for and safe.

I was out of school for a week and a half and the entire time I was bedridden and scared to walk outside in fear I’d see my mother despite her being in a different town at the time. My dad had to take precautions in case my mother decided to show up unannounced to take me back.

This was my first time speaking seriously to CPS and the police. I became sour and jealous of anyone I met with parents who were still together. 

This gave me a new outlook when meeting new people, I learned not to judge their manners and to be open to understanding what people. Despite being a negative point in my life, I encourage me to be more open with people.