personal essay on parents divorce

Personal Narrative Essay : The Divorce Of My Parents

When I was younger, growing up was not always the easiest thing. From a young age, I was faced with the difficulty of having divorced parents. Most of my friends did not have to go through this struggle, so it was hard to explain why I could not always hang out with them every weekend. “I can’t, I’m at my mom’s this weekend”, became a phrase I used quite often. However, when I was small, I thought it was kind of cool in a way because I got two birthdays, two Christmases, and two vacations. Eventually, both of my parents remarried. My father remarried my stepmother who also had two children who were both older than I was, but younger than my brother. My mother remarried and then had two more children with him. 

I felt as a kid, I missed out on some opportunities that other kids my age got to experience. Also growing up it was not always easy watching your two parents not get along. As I got older, it was very difficult to be able to do everything that I wanted to because it would mess up our schedule that we had, which made my mother kind of upset. When my younger siblings were born, things started going downhill. We had to watch our younger siblings all of the time, and it was our responsibility to keep them entertained. My sister and I are about five years apart, and my younger brother and I are about six years apart. So keeping them entertained was kind of difficult since we were all children.

I thought growing up that the one “hard” thing I would have to deal with was my parents divorce, however that was wrong. My mother got divorced for the second time. This came as a shock to me. At this point, I hardly ever saw my younger siblings. Between me starting competitive gymnastics, school, and their different schedules it could go months without seeing them which was very hard for me as a kid. I noticed right after the divorce my mother did not seem like herself, but at the age of nine, I had figured it was just the stress from the divorce. As time went on, the things that were happening continued. For example, she would cancel a weekend here and there or she would have friends over the whole weekend barely making time for us. However after one weekend, we quickly realized what it was.

It was Halloween in 2015 and it was my mother’s weekend. I was ten, my oldest brother was fifteen, my younger sister was six, and my youngest brother was five. My father told us to go downtown to the Trunk or Treat in town, so we could see friends and still go trick or treating. We were downtown for about twenty minutes before we left, and did not get to see my father who was expecting to see us dressed up. Earlier in the day, my mother and I were planning my eleventh birthday party since it was in two weeks. However, the topic changed quickly when we were talking about our plans for the rest of the night. My mother talked in a very serious tone about what we were doing. She made very strict rules of what we could do. At the time I did not realize what was going on until later. My mother had taken my siblings and I to an “adult” party. 

The day after everything had happened I was still very confused. When my mother was taking me and my brother back to our fathers, she had specifically told us not to tell him what had happened, and to say after we went downtown we went back home. As we got in the car with our father, he already knew what had happened. Still as a young child I did not understand anything that was truthfully happening. My brother had explained to me that our mother had some deeper lying issues that turned her to drugs and alcohol. Even at the age of ten I knew those things were bad, and they could have seriously harmed me or my siblings. My father was furious with my mother, as he had every right to be because she had potentially endangered me and my siblings lives by being there at a young age. My father was granted full custody of my brother and I, after it was taken to court.

As a child having to experience things like this made it very difficult to talk to my friends at some points. Every once and a while I would leave school early to have to talk to someone, but when my friends asked I simply said that I had some kind of appointment. It was very hard for me to be able to come to terms with the fact that my mother would not be a part of my life. I struggled with this for a while, and I kind of started shutting people out because I did not know how to express my feelings, and I did not know how to feel. I was angry, upset, hurt, and so many more feelings that confused me at a young age. I had also convinced myself that somehow it was my fault, and that I had done something wrong for things to end up the way that they had.

Six years later, I have come to terms with this. I have understood that there was nothing I did or could have done to cause this. Sure, every once in a while I will get upset over it but it will happen. I have also realized that I have an amazing support system, and that I can talk to anyone whenever I need to. I have an amazing family that has helped every step of the way, my friends have always been there for me whenever I needed them, my boyfriend who has become a big part of my life who I can call any hour of the day if I needed him. I know many people are not blessed with having such a great support system, but I am very fortunate to have one, and for that I am forever grateful.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Divorce — My Experience of Growing Up with Divorced Parents

My Experience of Growing Up with Divorced Parents

• Categories: Divorce Parents

About this sample

Words: 407 |

Updated: 8 November, 2023

Words: 407 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited

• Amato, P. R., & Kane, J. B. (2011). Life-course pathways and the psychosocial adjustment of children of divorce. Journal of Family Issues, 32(2), 153-171.
• Emery, R. E. (2019). Two homes, one childhood: A parenting plan to last a lifetime. Penguin.
• Fabricius, W. V., & Luecken, L. J. (2007). Postdivorce living arrangements, parent conflict, and long-term physical health correlates for children of divorce. Journal of Family Psychology, 21(2), 195-205.
• Fine, M. A., & Fine, G. A. (2014). Handbook of divorce and relationship dissolution. Routledge.
• Gottman, J. M., & Silver, N. (1999). The seven principles for making marriage work: A practical guide from the country's foremost relationship expert. Three Rivers Press.
• Hetherington, E. M., & Kelly, J. (2002). For better or for worse: Divorce reconsidered. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Irwin, R. L., & Ryan, J. M. (2013). Counseling and divorce. Springer Science & Business Media.
• Kelly, J. B., & Emery, R. E. (2003). Children's adjustment following divorce: Risk and resilience perspectives. Family Relations, 52(4), 352-362.
• Wallerstein, J. S., Lewis, J. M., & Blakeslee, S. (2000). The unexpected legacy of divorce: The 25 year landmark study. Hachette UK.
• Walsh, F. (2016). Normal family processes: Growing diversity and complexity. Guilford Publications.

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Personal Narrative: My Experience With Divorced Parents Essay

When I was five years old, my parents got divorced. Through the separation process, and some years after, my parents fought a lot. They sometimes brought my 2 sisters and I into it, which was really frustrating. Growing up with parents who are divorced has been a struggle for me throughout my life. It’s hard to put into words my experience and ongoing trials I go through with divorced parents. My parents met when my mom was in her early twenties and my dad was thirty. They got married a couple years following the time they started dating.

Shortly after getting married, they had my older sister Maddy, then me, and after that they had my younger sister Cassie. I can clearly remember us being a happy family. I had the best parents who worked as a team. We did a lot of stuff together as a family, gardening, playing outside, and staying active. We lived in a big house off of 85th in Green Lake, Seattle. I remember being young when the fighting started, yelling and screaming. It scared my sisters and me a lot. No one wants to witness their parents fighting as a kid.

When I was five, Maddy seven, and Cassie three, our parents got divorced. Once the process was finished, my mom got custody of us and took us to live in a house with her. My dad stayed at our house in Ballard and we moved into a house with my mom and her new boyfriend, which is also whose baby she was carrying. Over the next few years, we had been back and forth between both parents. I remember I sometimes hated leaving my mom and dad. I wished I could be with both of them at the same time. Me and my sisters lived in a new house in Everett, with our then new Step dad, Mom, and baby sister Meghan.

Whenever we went over to my dads, there was always something my parents were fighting about, whether it involved us or not, we would always get an earful from both of them. This point of their separation really affected me the most. I didn’t realize until I got older that we should have never been exposed to that part of their lives, considering how young we were. Another part of their divorce was dealing with a step dad I’ve never been fond of, and neither were my sisters. It was somewhat of a culture shock, him growing up in Mexico, and for us, as we began living with a guy who wasn’t even our dad.

I would always ask my mom why she couldn’t have married someone else. Someone we liked. My step dad was the type of guy who only cared about his “real” children, not us. It became a constant struggle for attention from my Mom. When we were young, my sister and I were treated like maids around the house when my step dad was around. He is honestly one of the main reasons why the divorce was so heartbreaking for me and my siblings. I feel as if my mom had married someone who supported her and loved her unconditionally; it would have made more of a positive impact during this hard time in our life.

Later on, around fourteen or fifteen years of age, I saw my dad slip away from me. I saw him less and less every month. This crushed me; I didn’t understand it at all. Once I got to high school, I never saw my dad. I would try to think of the last time | had seen him and I couldn’t even remember when it was. My dad had lost both of his parents in the last year and I always had this feeling he had never moved on from the divorce. My dad has always been stubborn and I think he has always held onto that part of his life. How could you not?

I remember my dad had told me when I was in middle school, that he had been an alcoholic . He said he drank a lot when he was young but stopped once he had kids. Shortly after realizing how little I saw my dad, I started getting phone calls and texts from family members, saying they had smelled alcohol on his breath. When I heard this, I was crushed. I didn’t believe them; I was so mad at them for telling me that. I thought to myself how my dad could choose alcohol over his daughters. I think somehow over the next years of high school I just pretended he doesn’t exist.

I did this because as a young teen, I should not have had to constantly worry about my dad. After a couple of years knowing about his drinking, my sisters and I found out he got a DUI. I hated him; I was shocked and didn’t understand why he would go down this road and do this to himself. We finally had to confront him about his drinking. Me and my sisters told him we wouldn’t be seeing him if he continued going down the wrong path. He has been sober ever since then. His actions are inexcusable but I believe they were the repercussions of divorce.

This shows just how serious divorce is and what problems it causes in people’s lives. Today, I still go through phases where I think about what life would be like if they never got separated. I constantly compare my family to others with married parents. Dealing with divorce hasn’t been easy to deal with, but it’s normal for me now, something you get used to. Which sounds crazy, but it is the way I have to think to be happy. Divorce has been challenging for me and I don’t think it will ever get easier. To be able to move on my life, I just have to think more positively about the situation .

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how to write a college essay about divorced parents.

Hi all, my parents recently got divorced and it's had a big impact on my life. I want to write about it in my college essay, but I don't want it to sound too negative. Any advice on how to approach this topic and share my story in a meaningful way?

When writing a college essay about your parents' divorce, it's important to focus on personal growth and development rather than the negativity of the situation. Here are some tips to help you approach this topic in a meaningful way:

1. Focus on your growth: Highlight how the experience of your parents getting divorced has led to personal growth or development. Perhaps you learned valuable lessons about resilience, independence, or empathy from the situation. Show how these qualities have made you a stronger person and will benefit you in your future academic and personal pursuits.

2. Share a specific personal anecdote: Avoid talking about your parents' divorce in general terms. Instead, focus on a specific event or moment from your life that illustrates the impact of the divorce on you. This will make your essay more engaging and relatable to the reader.

3. Balance positivity and realism: While it's important not to dwell on the negative aspects of your parents' divorce, you also want to be honest about the challenges you faced. Try to strike a balance between acknowledging the adversity you've been through and emphasizing the positive growth or realizations that emerged from the situation.

4. Demonstrate self-awareness: Being introspective about how the experience has shaped you is crucial. Show that you have a deep understanding of your emotions, thoughts, and reactions throughout the process. This shows maturity and self-awareness, which are qualities that colleges value in their applicants.

5. Relate the experience to your goals: Explain how your parents' divorce and the lessons you learned from it have influenced your academic, career, or life goals. This will help the reader understand the significance of your story and see how it's relevant to your aspirations.

6. Proofread and revise: Finally, make sure to revise, proofread, and seek feedback from a trusted teacher, counselor, or mentor to ensure your essay is well-written and effectively conveys your message.

By focusing on your personal growth, sharing a specific anecdote, balancing positivity with realism, demonstrating self-awareness, and relating your experience to your goals, you can write a meaningful college essay about your parents' divorce that will resonate with admissions officers.

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CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

152 Brilliant Divorce Essay Topics & Examples

For those who are studying law or social sciences, writing about divorce is a common task. Separation is a complicated issue that can arise from many different situations and lead to adverse outcomes. In this article we gathered an ultimate list of topics about divorce and gathered some tips to when working on the paper.

Personal Narrative Essay: Child of Divorce

As a kid, I used to have a lot of birthday parties. The corn maze, animal shelters, and indoor playgrounds housed the big events of my weekend. To someone looking in, especially to the kids attending the parties, this seems amazing. But these parties were a competition between my parents. I am a child of divorce. After the split, I lost ownership of my childhood, it was no longer my own. It was my parents’ property, a weapon against each other.

When I was younger I counted down the hours until I could return home and tell my family about my day. Walking through the door, I could drop the stresses from the day and just have fun. The older I got, the more my parents fought and that relief I once felt from coming home turned into dread. Coming home every day became a burden. The happiness I felt at school, completely drained the second I walked through the cold, lonely, beige door. Our home no longer was a place of refuge and relaxation, it was a foreign environment filled with abuse and sadness.

In an effort to accommodate both sides of my family and stop the petty competition, I lost myself. I was always on the periphery of each family, never an insider, as I shuffled between two separate worlds. Even though I didn’t have to experience the arguments firsthand anymore, I knew they were still happening, I knew my parents. My sister and I did see the benefits to their childish feud, ice cream on Fridays at dads, shopping with mom on Sunday. They spoiled us to hurt each other. While we appreciated the gifts, my sister and I knew it wasn’t necessarily for us, we weren’t the motivation behind the acts, they’re lust for the title of “best parent” was. I don’t even think either of them wanted to be the best parent, they just wanted something to hold over the other's head, a final “screw you” if you will. 

Holidays were like the golden star your teacher gives you for doing a good job on your paper for my parents. Any time their rivalry cooled off for a while, it would heat back up during times of celebration. Fights over whose turn it was to have us for Christmas were the most brutal. They both would plan things neither my sister nor I agreed to in hopes the “irreversible plans” and “no refunds” would lead them to their victory of the year. 

Individuals I cared about were never in the same room with each other, and many of them had no idea who the other was. Because I had to spend time with one family over the other, I missed out on events and celebrations from the losing side, most often the paternal side. Though we longed for the good old days where we had big family gatherings (from all sides), we reveled in the fact that we wouldn’t have to pretend to enjoy Auntie Nancy’s casseroles anymore. Avoiding the… traditional ideologies of Uncle Lefty was a nice bonus as well.

Children of divorce learn to deal with inconsistencies and instability, but by the time I was ten, I had had enough. I didn't want to have two homes, two bedrooms, two sets of clothes, two sets of toys, two sets of friends, and two sets of regulations. So I told my father one day that I didn't want to see him anymore. It was a brave but foolish act of defiance. We'll never know whether that was the right decision, but neither of my parents had the objectivity or mental stability required to find a more positive answer at the time. 

As a result, things turned out the way they did. The long-dormant power battle between my parents exploded once more, this time directed at me. I was the one who caused the squabble this time. I was blamed in one house and a victim in the other. There was no longer any need for multiple birthday celebrations. Instead, one house had stability and consistency, while the other had wrath and avoidance. Choice has repercussions, and as time passed, I lost touch with my father's family. It's difficult to maintain contact with folks who are connected to someone we've pushed away. However, at this point in my life, I had grown tired of birthdays and holidays, and weekends. I was through with feeling like the reason for the endless battle between my parents so, sadly, I had to become the bigger person. Call it “oldest child syndrome” if you will. 

My mother remarried and I met new cousins. My dad started dating and I met kids my age through their mothers. The other children involved provided a sense of comfort for my sister and I, like we had people, our age, who knew what we were going through. It was new to all of us and brought us together in the process. I was introduced to new holiday traditions and family routines, I was exposed to a whole new perspective that I never would have got to experience without my parents splitting. 

For a long time, life was still. My sister and I were done shuffling back and forth and stability was somewhat restored. Then, age started catching up to several people on my dad's side of the family and I became overwhelmed with guilt. Why hadn’t I called? How could I have avoided them? They are still my family. I realized I was feeding into the same game I despised growing up, I completely ignored my family to keep my life stable. 

I would have loved to stop by and visit, but it would not have gone over well with my mother. Instead, I went around to everyone on my own. I'd strike up a conversation and feel like an outsider. I was always the obnoxious visitor, never the friendly host. 

Although we are connected on social media, my mother is still the only one who acknowledges my existence. I still talk with my dad but rarely am allowed to visit. I make sure to call the relatives I can’t easily, physically see. It makes me upset when I learn that a family member went through town but didn't call, but I realize that they don't call because they don't know who I am. I was never a regular visitor to them. I was only around for a couple of Christmases in my life. Although they were my family, I was never one of them. They have no idea that they are simply one of several persons from four distinct families with whom I have lost contact.

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Personal Narrative: My Experience With Divorced Parents Essay

When I was five years old, my parents got divorced. Through the separation process, and some years after, my parents fought a lot. They sometimes brought my 2 sisters and I into it, which was really frustrating. Growing up with parents who are divorced has been a struggle for me throughout my life. It’s hard to put into words my experience and ongoing trials I go through with divorced parents.

My parents met when my mom was in her early twenties and my dad was thirty. They got married a couple years following the time they started dating. Shortly after getting married, they had my older sister Maddy, then me, and after that they had my younger sister Cassie. I can clearly remember us being a happy family. I had the best parents who worked as a team. We did a lot of stuff together as a family, gardening, playing outside, and staying active. We lived in a big house off of 85th in Green Lake, Seattle.

I remember being young when the fighting started, yelling and screaming. It scared my sisters and me a lot. No one wants to witness their parents fighting as a kid. When I was five, Maddy seven, and Cassie three, our parents got divorced. Once the process was finished, my mom got custody of us and took us to live in a house with her. My dad stayed at our house in Ballard and we moved into a house with my mom and her new boyfriend, which is also whose baby she was carrying.

Over the next few years, we had been back and forth between both parents. I remember I sometimes hated leaving my mom and dad. I wished I could be with both of them at the same time. Me and my sisters lived in a new house in Everett, with our then new Step dad, Mom, and baby sister Meghan. Whenever we went over to my dads, there was always something my parents were fighting about, whether it involved us or not, we would always get an earful from both of them.

This point of their separation really affected me the most. I didn’t realize until I got older that we should have never been exposed to that part of their lives, considering how young we were. Another part of their divorce was dealing with a step dad I’ve never been fond of, and neither were my sisters. It was somewhat of a culture shock, him growing up in Mexico, and for us, as we began living with a guy who wasn’t even our dad. I would always ask my mom why she couldn’t have married someone else.

Someone we liked. My step dad was the type of guy who only cared about his “real” children, not us. It became a constant struggle for attention from my Mom. When we were young, my sister and I were treated like maids around the house when my step dad was around. He is honestly one of the main reasons why the divorce was so heartbreaking for me and my siblings. I feel as if my mom had married someone who supported her and loved her unconditionally; it would have made more of a positive impact during this hard time in our life.

Later on, around fourteen or fifteen years of age, I saw my dad slip away from me. I saw him less and less every month. This crushed me; I didn’t understand it at all. Once I got to high school, I never saw my dad. I would try to think of the last time I had seen him and I couldn’t even remember when it was. My dad had lost both of his parents in the last year and I always had this feeling he had never moved on from the divorce. My dad has always been stubborn and I think he has always held onto that part of his life.

How could you not? I remember my dad had told me when I was in middle school, that he had been an alcoholic. He said he drank a lot when he was young but stopped once he had kids. Shortly after realizing how little I saw my dad, I started getting phone calls and texts from family members, saying they had smelled alcohol on his breath. When I heard this, I was crushed. I didn’t believe them; I was so mad at them for telling me that. I thought to myself how my dad could choose alcohol over his daughters. I think somehow over the next years of high school I just pretended he doesn’t exist.

I did this because as a young teen, I should not have had to constantly worry about my dad. After a couple of years knowing about his drinking, my sisters and I found out he got a DUI. I hated him; I was shocked and didn’t understand why he would go down this road and do this to himself. We finally had to confront him about his drinking. Me and my sisters told him we wouldn’t be seeing him if he continued going down the wrong path. He has been sober ever since then. His actions are inexcusable but I believe they were the repercussions of divorce. This shows just how serious divorce is and what problems it causes in people’s lives.

Today, I still go through phases where I think about what life would be like if they never got separated. I constantly compare my family to others with married parents. Dealing with divorce hasn’t been easy to deal with, but it’s normal for me now, something you get used to. Which sounds crazy, but it is the way I have to think to be happy. Divorce has been challenging for me and I don’t think it will ever get easier. To be able to move on my life, I just have to think more positively about the situation.

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Putting Divorce into Context in Your Applications

October 4, 2019

Applications

After years of working with students, I’ve seen that dealing with divorce as a part of the college process can be challenging for students. While many family separations are amicable or mutually chosen, many others contain feelings of loss, grief, anger and sadness . If you are a student who has faced the challenges presented by divorced parents in any way, this blog is for you!

In my last two blogs ( Part 1 / Part 2 ), I gave advice to divorced families regarding finances and the college search process . Making sure your family understands their financial plan and has a good process in place can help things go much more smoothly. However, when it comes to filling out the application, you – the student – will be faced with clearly explaining how divorce affected you.

For many students, the timing of a parents’ divorce could not be worse – when it happens during high school, it can distract you from activities, destabilize your financial support, impede on your emotional support system, and/or a hamper your studies right when grades are most important . Even if it happened several years ago, you may still be struggling with the reshuffling of your life. In these cases, it is important that you explain this to colleges. Here are three of the best ways to do that.

1) You can write about these circumstances in the additional information section of the Common Application . This section allows you to write up to 650 words “if you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application.” When writing a summary of your parents’ divorce, keep it fairly factual (as opposed to highly emotional), and point clearly to how the circumstances of divorce impacted your application – primarily academic work and extracurricular activities. Typically, you would want an explanation for this section to be shorter than your main essay, so around 150-300 words, but you can use as much space as needed, and should, when appropriate. I recommend doing this when circumstances dictate, as you have little to lose and everything to gain, even if you don’t want to “whine” or “ask for pity” as many of my students say.

  2) Write your main Common Application essay about your parents’ divorce. I am very cautious to recommend this strategy, but it can be effective for some students. The primary problem with writing about a highly emotional or traumatic event in your life is that you haven’t always fully processed the event. This makes it very difficult to gain the needed perspective. Frequently, students end up writing with less skill, more difficulty, and less cohesion, because they are trying to explain an experience that taps deep emotions, particularly negative ones. So, how to decide if this is an appropriate topic for your essay? First, decide if writing about this event gives admissions readers unique insight into who you are. Second, ask yourself if this topic will provide better insights about who you are than all other possible topics. Third, make time to write in a journaling style, and then, get feedback from a trusted adult about whether the thoughts present you well and add to the strength of your application.

3) Finally, your school counselor recommendation is another appropriate place for colleges to learn about family circumstances that might have affected your application to college. If you have experienced challenges related to divorce, be sure to communicate those to your counselor. For example, after your parents split up, you might not have been able to visit a particular college to demonstrate interest. You could need more time for your college search , have less time to devote to extracurricular activities because of your living situation, have gone through a period of time where your academics were affected negatively, or have had to get a job. Regardless of the circumstance, be sure to set a meeting with your counselor to fully explain the circumstances and why you’d like them to be included in the letter. Your counselor can help contextualize your circumstances in the school recommendation letter or forms.

While divorce presents challenges for many students, I’ve also worked with many students who found strengths, hopes, or new opportunities because of the change of circumstance in their lives. Living through a challenge can cause you to become more mature or more flexible. Further, it can introduce more support people – such as stepparents – into your life. Look for those positives and emphasize those in your applications, so colleges will see you gaining self reliance, optimism, and strength.

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Nicole has dedicated the entirety of her 20 year career to encouraging higher education opportunities. After graduating from Vanderbilt, she worked in her alma mater’s admissions office. The, she completed her PhD in Counseling so she could bring that expertise into college counseling. Nicole partnered with her former Vanderbilt colleague, Fitz Totten, to form Find The Right College and support their mission to make trustworthy advising more accessible.

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People Are Revealing The Heartbreaking Things They Found Out After Their Parents Decided To Break Up For Good

"My mom told me that she was never in love with my father, and she saw him as more of a best friend than a romantic partner."

BuzzFeed Contributor

We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to share what they learned about their parents' marriage once they divorced. Here are some of their responses:

Warning: This story mentions abuse and suicide. 

1. "My father still loved my mother even though they couldn't live together. My mother died 13 years after they divorced. When my dad pulled into my driveway sobbing after he had heard the news, I asked him why he was crying so hard. I was 17 and naive. He looked at me and said, 'Just because we couldn't live together didn't mean I didn't love your mother. We had you and a life together, however brief it was.' They were married three years and I had no memory of them ever being married."

—Susan, New York City

2. "All the qualities my mom thought my dad had she misinterpreted. His 'quietness' was him stewing over things he didn't like, but wouldn't talk about. They were married for almost 23 years but didn't know each other. There wasn't much communication."

— awfulgazelle20

3. "My father cheated. My mom tried to stay for the sake of having a stable family and she never let us in on their marital problems or my father's infidelity. They were separated for some time, but my mom never wanted to go through with a divorce because she worried about how it would affect us. My dad continued to be unfaithful and eventually said my mom deserved better and filed for divorce. We would later learn the real reason was because one of his side girls got pregnant and he wanted to pursue a family with her."

"They told us they divorced because they had grown apart but still loved each other so much. I found out about all the things my dad did from my grandmother 13 years after the divorce. He was barely in our lives after. We knew he remarried but no one knew it was to a woman he was in a secret relationship with during his and my mother's marriage. If I had known, I would have encouraged my mom to leave! I hate that she felt she had to stay for the sake of us when she continued to get hurt. If we had known, we would have wanted her happiness over an unfaithful father any day."

—Stephanie, New Jersey

4. "I didn't know my parents were divorced until one of my cousins told me. They still lived together and didn't act any different. They never sat us four kids down and told us what was happening."

—A, Kentucky

5. "My parents didn't share core values and their marriage revolved around having fun with their friends. After they divorced, their friends chose sides or ended it due to social stigma. I learned the importance of choosing the right partner based on things that don't change — core values and prioritizing family over friends."

—Cassie, California

6. "My parents taught me what a good co-parenting relationship looks like when you know you can't be civil with your ex. The 'ideal' co-parenting relationship pushed online is that you're parenting with your ex like nothing ever happened. You and the new stepmom are BFFs, but that's not realistic. My parents loathe each other and their marriage was incredibly toxic, but I didn't know that until I was an adult. They divorced when I was quite small mostly because they were basically 'parallel parenting.'"

"Each one doing their own thing and as much as possible, letting the other parent do the same. Since they couldn't be civil even for five minutes, custody was split between the school year and summer. The exchange was always done through a third party. Phone calls, too. I can count on one hand the number of times my parents have been in the same room since they divorced 35 years ago. They both married after and never met each other's new spouses. It was unorthodox but it worked."

— lobster_lemon_lime

7. "It was pretty much a sham. Dad was sleeping around with other men who were his students. He was a high school teacher, and my mom eventually had an affair of her own that convinced her to end it."

—Anonymous, Connecticut 

8. "When my parents got divorced I was 17. My dad was cheating and becoming extremely aggressive towards my mom. She finally asked for the divorce I had been insisting on since I was 13. Well, I think my having to physically put my body in front of hers to protect her from him did the trick. He's been unstable for his entire life, but never physically abusive. I think he went crazy because this time she was going through with the divorce."

"She took my four brothers and moved to my grandma's. I stayed. I was scared he was going to kill himself, to be honest. He would cry in my arms and say my mom was destroying his life, but he had no idea I already knew about his affair. My mom used me as a therapist to vent. I knew EVERYTHING. I wish I didn't. It f--ked with my head. I'm 26 and can't stand men crying."

— chillduck61

9. "My parents divorced when I was 15 and a freshman in high school. What made it hard was the finality of it all, the knowledge that we would never be a family again. At first, it was tough and I rebelled. But as time went on I saw how happy they each were. My mom cried a lot less and my dad told jokes again. It was as if they found themselves after years of being lost."

"Senior year my mom got remarried. She was happier than I had ever seen her. My dad followed suit and found my stepmom a year later. At Christmas and birthdays, I get double the gifts. I realize how lucky I am to be loved by my parents and stepparents. And now, my parents get along and can be at my events together. My college graduation was the best memory I've had. I guess things work out how they're intended, though I'm in no rush to find love. I think my parents' divorce makes me a bit less trusting of serious relationships. I don't want to end up with the wrong person."

—Hesitant, Colorado

10. "Everything I had believed about our family at the time was false. On the day they separated, my father admitted to us kids that he'd been cheating on my mom, and not just with one person. Since that day, I've learned that my dad has never been faithful to my mom. I have also learned that there was a cyclical history on my dad's side of the men being raised that they could do whatever they wanted. My parents both went through years of therapy, came a long way, and are friends today. In hindsight, I wish they had made me do the same."

"Even recently I've learned more about certain events that happened during their marriage, how awful my dad treated their marriage, and how my mom stayed far longer than she should have. I have relationships with my parents today and as the eldest, I'm closer to my dad than my siblings, but my mom is our hero. She was our main caregiver. She went back to college after the separation then divorce, got a career , and eventually found love again about 15 years post-divorce. She never spoke badly about our father as we grew up or kept us from seeing him. It's amazing knowing what I know now how hard that must have been!"

—Anonymous, Minnesota

11. "I was 17, and my parents were married for 19 years before my mom decided to call it quits. They divorced shortly after my mom was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. I thought that they had a happy marriage, and I had zero clue about why they divorced until my mom's deathbed confession. She died about six months after the divorce was finalized. The divorce and her death broke my dad's heart into millions of pieces. My mom told me that she was never in love with my father, and she saw him as more of a best friend than a romantic partner. She only married him because she didn't want to hurt him or get judged by her family. So, she got married and kept quiet about her feelings for almost two decades."

"Once she found out that she was going to die, she wanted at least a few months of freedom before she kicked the bucket. I was shocked and heartbroken for her. My mom died two days after she told me. I learned from all of this to marry someone you truly love. Don't marry someone because you don't want to break their heart by rejecting them, and certainly don't marry someone if you're scared of being judged by your loved ones for not marrying them. My mom's advice saved me from two potentially unhealthy marriages, and she helped me have the strength to marry my current husband despite my family's disapproval. My husband is Muslim and my whole family is very religious Christians. My third wedding anniversary just passed, and every day I wake up next to my husband, I internally thank my mom every day for sharing her story."

—Julia, Florida

12. "My dad is a completely changed man without my mother's manipulation. In the following years, I have come to witness how many men have their mental health decline simply by being sucked into her toxicity."

— donotgogentleintothatgoodnight

13. "My dad cheated on my mom multiple times. This one time was purely physical but the other one was love. My dad has no problem talking about it. He's even kind of happy about what he's done. Five years later, he's still obsessed with the second woman. My mom has no idea. I've been keeping this to myself for years. She also knows the woman well."

14. "My mom explained it as they 'drank at each other.' In other words, they were always drunk to be around each other. But even then, they never spent time with each other. I don't remember a time in my teen years when they were in the same room. It's been five years since, and I'm still learning things my dad did to my mom that explain a lot of their behaviors (manipulation, narcissism, etc.). It explains why my mom was always involved in our sports and activities, and my dad never was. My dad still blames my mom for the divorce."

"I might believe it, if those behaviors weren't rolling onto me and my family now. I talk to him as little as possible because I can't stand to hear another 'pity me' story when he's the one who brings these feelings and events on himself. I will say, I love my dad as a grandpa to my kids, but it's hard loving him as a dad who was never really there in the first place and doesn't want to be around unless the kids are involved."

— ashleenooo

15. "I learned how important it is to be present and invest time in your family. My dad was an AOL chatroom monitor in his free time and he eventually chose his AOL duties over spending time with us. He would have my mom bring his dinner plate down to the basement to eat while he was online and ignoring the rest of us. When they divorced I spent every other weekend with him. At the end of all of them, he would give my mom a recap of how I had annoyed him, knowing I could hear him. The last time I saw him he once again told me what a disappointment I was, and how I'd 'be different' if he had raised me. Never make your child feel like they're not good enough for you."

— ozzyozzerson

16. "Not my parents but my aunt. I learned never to expect your partner to change their mind. She wanted kids. He had a low sperm count and wanted to keep smoking, virtually ensuring that they couldn't conceive naturally. They couldn't afford adoption or IVF. She kept expecting him to quit and change his lifestyle for their family, but I think he expected her to change her mind, too. They didn't make it to 10 years."

— pengoguino

17. "After my parents divorced, my father took my brother and me out. He explained that he loved us and always would, but he and my mother couldn't be together, and that it wasn't our fault. My mother told us that my father left because of us kids, that he didn't love us, and couldn't stand to be around us any longer. Then, at my grandmother's house, while they thought I was asleep, I heard my mother tell my grandmother that my father had his wisdom teeth removed and was given pain medication."

"Thinking he was out cold, my mom took my dad's new Camaro and met her skeevy lover at some no-tell motel. After they were done trysting, my mom left the room. Instead of the Camaro, there was our circa 1950s station wagon parked outside. I remember the fight and my father leaving, but after hearing my mother talk to my grandmother, I knew mother was a liar who could never be trusted. I was 8."

— shinygamer90

18. "I learned that my father had cheated on my mother with their bank manager, who was also married and had children. The two of them were ready to run off and start a new life together, leaving their kids and spouses behind, but the bank manager could not bring herself to do it. After I learned that, I found out that my father had taken all of my mother's retirement money to rent an apartment for his affair."

"He's an alcoholic. I learned about how his drinking habits came to be, and that the little dent in the fridge wasn't there my whole life. He had punched it and left a mark when he was belligerent. Their marriage was far from perfect, even if that's what they made everyone else around them believe."

— tess-s-12

19. And finally, "I honestly don't remember them together. I was less than six months old when my mother left us. I will say a lesson I have always taken from their 'marriage' is don't marry someone just because of a pregnancy."

— originalwalrus68

Did you learn any important lessons about your parents' marriage after they broke up? Share your story in the comments!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Share This Article

Divorce or Keep It Together? What You Need to Know

Explore these 9 factors so you can make an informed decision..

Posted May 28, 2024 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

• The Challenges of Divorce
• Find a therapist to heal from a divorce

Lucy and Larry are the best of friends, and both are in long, unhappy marriages. Lucy complains that her husband is remote and withdrawn, and Larry complains that he and his husband are constantly quarreling. Lucy feels lonely in her relationship, while Larry is often triggered and upset by the tension and arguing. For months they debate whether to divorce or stay in their unhappy relationships.

The decision to stay or go depends on finding clarity , but finding clarity depends on these factors.

• Think about the dynamics of your relationship. What are the patterns of interaction? Is there mutual respect, admiration, and emotional support? Do you still share common goals, values, and interests? Are you able to support each other's personal growth and development?
• Think about your needs, your wants, and your goals. If you stay in your relationship can you fulfill your long-term goals? Do you believe divorce would realistically offer greater opportunities for personal fulfillment and growth?
• How will staying together or divorcing affect your overall quality of life, including your emotional well-being, financial stability, and mental health? Often there are unexpected losses during divorce. Making well-informed decisions is crucial.
• Do you have children? How will divorce or staying together impact your children? Try to make decisions that prioritize their stability and happiness . With few exceptions, divorce negatively impacts children , especially when parents are in conflict. Educate yourself about how to divorce in a way that reduces the negative effects on your children. For example, will you work with your spouse to co-parent your children should you decide to divorce? Do you believe that your spouse will co-parent well with you?
• Have you sought help? Seeking guidance from a qualified therapist or marriage counselor can help improve communication, identify underlying issues, and provide strategies for resolving conflicts. Lucy and Larry both spend months in marriage counseling with their spouses and feel it helps them to consider whether they’re facing temporary challenges or deeper fundamental incompatibilities. Look for specially trained discernment counseling in your area.
• If you have children, try to explore avenues for reconciliation through couples therapy , individual self-improvement efforts, and open communication. Perhaps, with effort, motivation , and commitment to change, you and your partner can find new ways to strengthen your bond.
• Be realistic: divorce can have significant financial and health implications. Most divorcing partners experience a serious drop in their standard of living and lifestyle. You’ll be dividing assets, and debts, and paying or receiving child support or spousal support. Non-working parents are often expected by the courts to contribute to their own support. If you haven’t worked for a while, you may need retraining or vocational counseling. Some of the hardest things about divorce are unpredictable. The stress of divorce can affect your physical and mental health unless you learn to minimize it.
• Consult with a qualified family law attorney to obtain personalized legal advice and guidance. Laws relating to divorce vary in different jurisdictions, so you’ll need to understand the costs, requirements, procedures, and potential outcomes if you decide to divorce. Consider mediation or a collaborative divorce instead of a court-involved process.
• Consider a trial separation : In some cases, a trial separation can provide respite, clarity, and perspective. During this time apart, both partners can reassess their feelings, priorities, and the feasibility of reconciliation. Counseling during a trial separation can help you decide whether or not to reconcile.

Ultimately, you’ll need to listen to your intuition and inner wisdom . Your feelings and instincts about the relationship are important data. While it's important to think through the factors above and seek advice, in the end, you are the best judge of what is right for you and your family. Whether you choose to stay together or pursue divorce, strive for a resolution that promotes mutual respect, dignity, and emotional health for all involved parties.

After thorough consideration and exploration of options, Lucy and Larry want to make decisions that match their values, priorities, and mental health. Ultimately, Lucy falls in love with a co-worker and leaves her marriage. She is now happily remarried and is no longer lonely in her marriage. Larry is afraid to be alone, and so he stays in a volatile relationship. However, over the years, he and his husband have learned to defuse arguments more easily, and have found new pleasure as grandparents. When Lucy and Larry reflect on their decisions many years later, they talk about the “road not taken,” but neither has regrets about their decision.

© Ann Gold Buscho, Ph.D. 2024

Ann Gold Buscho, Ph.D. , is the author of The Parent's Guide to Birdnesting: A Child-Centered Solution to Co-Parenting During Separation and Divorce.

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My ex and I had a nesting divorce. We all lived in the house during the week and alternated staying at an apartment on weekends.

• Mitzi Campbell is a 57-year-old mother of three
• She and her ex-husband tried nesting during their divorce for five years, from 2007 until 2012.
• She said nesting had its upsides but didn't lessen the blow for her kids when they split households.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mitzi Campbell . It has been edited for length and clarity.

My ex-husband and I started thinking about getting a divorce in 2007. It was totally amicable — we just knew that our relationship wasn't one that was going to last forever. At the time, we were living in a large house with our three children, the youngest of whom was 6.

There was a major economic crisis going on and we weren't in a position to sell the house and buy two separate properties. We were still in the middle of making the final decision if we were going to officially get a divorce. The term "nesting" — keeping the kids in the same family home while the parents move in and out — wasn't one we had ever heard of, but given finances and our indecision about splitting, it was how we decided to go about our separation.

We decided to try nesting

Since the house was large, we started by taking different bedrooms in the house and splitting our time with the kids. I would do the morning routine with the kids one day, and he would do the next. For a year, this worked.

But when we started meeting with a mediator and lawyer to finalize the divorce, we decided it would be best if we stayed in the house together during the week, but rented a separate, smaller place that each of us would take turns living in on the weekends. We both wanted more than just a bedroom to ourselves, and started to think about pursuing romantic relationships with other people. The "other" house was only 15 minutes away from the family home.

It was exciting — creating this new life for myself as an individual outside of my marriage. I loved having my own space. An unintended positive from this setup was that we both got space to process the divorce, and decide what we wanted our future lives to look like.

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During the week, when we were both staying in the large house in different bedrooms, we hardly saw each other, but when we did, we were very amicable with one another. Our top priority was co-parenting well for the sake of our kids.

One of us stayed at an apartment each weekend

At first, the kids were sad when one of us would leave for the weekend. They didn't like it, but eventually, it became the normal pattern for them. We were both happy that the kids' lives didn't massively change as we divorced . They got to stay in one place rather than travelling back and forth with a suitcase.

They were a little confused about our set-up, however. Most of their friends either had married parents who lived together, or divorced parents who lived separately.

Although this set-up was healthy for my ex-husband and me to process our divorce and engage in self-care, I often found it lonely and missed my kids and my house when I was away every other weekend.

We lived like this for around two years, but it wasn't a financially sustainable way of living — it was just too expensive to keep paying our mortgage and rent for an apartment we were only using on the weekends, and our finances took a hit.. During those two years, we also both started dating new people, so we decided we'd stop renting the extra house and stay at our partners' places every other weekend instead.

This continued for another two years, before we finally decided to sell the house in 2012. We sold it and moved into two smaller properties, only three miles away from each other.

Throughout our five years of nesting, our kids were happy. They got to stay in their large family home, didn't have to travel back and forth to see their parents , and often saw us together. It was a slow transition for them, and I don't regret doing it.

However, there were some downsides I hadn't expected.

While nesting worked for the most part, there were some challenges

The years we were frequently living under the same roof but not a couple, the kids held on to the hope their dad and I would get back together . At times, it might have been more confusing for them than helpful, especially when my ex-husband and I started dating other people.

I felt like in some ways, we delayed the inevitable grief they'd feel when we completely cut ties with each other. When we did stop nesting and sold the house, they found the lifestyle change hard. Although I still think it served as a good transitional period for the kids, not having their mom and dad living together all of the sudden was really hard for them, even though we felt we had eased them into it.

They also had to move out of this very large home they'd lived in since babies, into two smaller houses. It was something of a rude awakening for them. With our finances split in half , we had to watch our money more carefully.

Divorce is severing, or at least changing, a connection, and you can prolong or try to mitigate the effects of this for your children, but in the long run, you all have to come to terms with a new world in which the parents are no longer sharing a life. If families are going to nest, a long-term plan really needs to be put in place, keeping in mind how that eventual change will impact the kids.

Watch: How a 'hoarder's house' is deep cleaned

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Trainwreck ex-anchor Frank Somerville’s downward spiral accelerated with breakup of marriage

D isgraced California TV anchor Frank Somerville — who was recently arrested twice in one night — first started to fall apart after he was hit with a charge of Driving Under the Influence and then divorce papers a few weeks later.

Somerville made national news when he was caught on video rear-ending an Audi with his black Porsche then slamming his vehicle into a pole in Oakland on Dec. 30, 2021.

His wife of 25 years, TV producer Donna Wright Somerville, then filed for divorce on Jan. 6, 2022 according to court records obtained by The Post.

Donnacited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the divorce and listed their date of separation as June 19, 2020.

The couple have two daughters, one who was still a minor at the time of the filing, according to court documents. The divorce was finalized on May 1 this year.

According to the divorce settlement, the veteran anchorman for KTVU got to keep his notorious Porsche, but his ex got the five-bedroom home in Oakland they had shared during the marriage.

While other assets were divided, the judge ordered Donna Somerville to pay spousal support to the ex-anchorman “in an amount equal to one-half of her Net Earned Income”.

In a tell-all TV interview with Bay Area TV station KRON , Somerville said he was “sad” at the time of the crash because he didn’t get to spend time during the holidays with his family.

His recent arrest on June 5 stemmed from an altercation involving his younger brother at their parent’s home on Indian Rock Avenue in Berkeley, according to local reports.

According to the Berkeley Scanner, the siblings had a fight over “ongoing family issues” involving their elderly father, whom Somerville allegedly threatened.

The family asked Somerville to leave, but he refused, Berkeley Police Department officials said. He was arrested for suspicion of making criminal threats, public intoxication, assault and for violating his probation.

Somerville was placed in jail but posted a $32,500 bond and was release at 2:20 a.m. on June 6, according to cops.

The troubled ex-newsman then went back to his father’s home to get his car, left, but returned again to grab his phone, according to cops.

Police were called to the family residence and Somerville was once again arrested at 4:20 a.m. after cops found him intoxicated in his car. He was arrested for the second time on June 6 for DUI and violation of his probation.

He bailed out of jail at 4 p.m. the same day.

Somerville has been very candid about his troubles with alcohol. He first went viral after he slurred through a live newscast on May 2021.

Somerville denied that he was drunk on the air and claimed he had mistakenly took Ambien — a drug used to help someone fall asleep —  right before the 10 p.m. newscast.

He took a leave of absence and went to rehab for nine weeks. He returned to the anchor desk on August 2021, but was suspended again the next month when he disagreed with the station’s management over the  coverage of the Gabby Petito story .

Somerville, who has an adopted Black daughter, took issue with the “insane” amount of coverage for the Petito case.

Petito, 22, was bludgeoned and strangled to death by her fiancé Brian Launderie during their cross-country trip. The story garnered national attention after a lengthy manhunt for Laundrie, whose body was found in a Floria swamp after he  committed suicide.

“There was no reason for it other than she was a cute white kid,” Somerville said in the March KRON interview. “But for some reason, I was suspended over that. I still, to this day, am not sure why.”

On May 26, the ex-newsman posted a picture of himself and his younger daughter showing off their tattoos.

“I’ve lived in the TV box for 40 years,” he wrote. “Now I can finally express myself. … I get that tattoos have a negative impression with many. Well, I’m here to say, ‘So what?’ I think they’re beautiful and they make me happy.”

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Rappler Talk: What do solo parents think of a divorce law?

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MANILA, Philippines – Following the House approval of the divorce bill, members of the religious community and progressive groups continue their clash of ideals over the proposed measure that would would have an impact on the lives of many married Filipinos and families.

Amid the verbal crossfire are discussions on family bonds and the protection of children who become collateral to the bickering caused by delayed separations.

Seldom mentioned in these conversations are solo parents. What do solo parents think about the proposed divorce law?

In this Rappler Talk episode, Rappler senior desk editor Chito de la Vega sits down with members of the National Council for Solo Parents and Divorce Pilipinas Coalition to discuss the experiences of parents who have gone through separation and marital challenges. 

Bookmark this page to watch the interview on Thursday, June 6, at 3 pm. – Rappler.com

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Thursday 6 June 2024 22:14, UK

• ECB cuts interest rates - and it could boost your holiday money
• McVitie's launches first ever non-fruit flavoured Jaffa Cake
• There's a new best restaurant in the world - this is how much it costs to eat there
• Now is the time to lock some of your cash away - here's why
• Asda goes from cheapest to most expensive supermarket for petrol

Essential reads

• How brands get you to buy more, more, more
• Top chef shares his take on an Italian classic - and Warwickshire Cheap Eats
• Ed Conway : Claim of £2k tax rise under Labour is over four years - same maths suggests Tories have raised taxes by £13k in last four years
• How much are student loans, when do you start paying back and what is the interest?
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

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Amazon is now giving all its UK customers - not just Prime members - access to its grocery delivery service.

People living in more than 100 towns and cities will also be able to access same-day delivery without needing to be a member of its subscription service. 

This covers items from Amazon Fresh, Morrisons, Co-op and Iceland. 

It comes amid efforts from the online giant to grow its grocery business in the face of tough competition within the sector.

Prime members, who used to be the only ones who could access the service, will be given more delivery options and free shipping, subject to a minimum spend. 

US regulators are investigating the notorious meme stock investor known online as Roaring Kitty.

Keith Gill shot to fame in 2021 after he fuelled a buying spree of shares in beleaguered video game retailer GameStop. The stock passed $120 from as little as $3 in three months and saw hedge funds' positions rack up big losses.

Gill returned to online chat forum Reddit on Sunday with a post revealing he had a $116m (£90.8m) position in GameStop, telling his followers that he controlled 1.8% of the company's available stock plus call options that gave him the right to buy more.

This fuelled investor confidence in GameStop, with its market value surging as much as 75% before settling around 30% higher.

Gill's trading activities are now being examined by the Massachusetts securities regulator, while the e-trade division of US bank Morgan Stanley is considering banning Gill from its platform, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The renewed interest in GameStop has gathered plenty of momentum, as our business reporter James Sillars outlined here this week...

Some Lloyds, Halifax and the Bank of Scotland customers will be charged more to use their overdrafts as of August. 

The three major banks, which are all part of Lloyds Banking Group, are set to launch a new tiered system for determining interest rates which could see some customers paying an extra 10%. 

At the moment, Lloyds has a standard rate of 39.9%, but the overhaul will see some forced to pay 49.9% for using their overdraft. 

The new rates are set to be: 

The 27.5% rate currently being offered to Club Lloyds customers will also be axed. 

There will be specific criteria for each tier based on a customer's credit information and account activity. 

For those who will see a rise, the banks will introduce a temporary tier for six months, which means the initial impact will be no more than 7.4% of what they are paying at the moment. 

"We are writing to our customers to let them know we're introducing new interest rate tiers on our overdrafts," a Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said.

"The changes mean many will continue to pay the same or less than they do today, while some may see an increase." 

Nvidia has overtaken Apple to become the world's second most valuable public company.

The AI microchip maker's share price has risen to be worth more than $3trn (£2.34trn) for the first time. 

Only Microsoft is a more valuable company listed on a stock exchange, while Apple has fallen into third place.

Nvidia shares rose 5% after a year of growth - with one share now costing $1,224.40 (£957).

Nvidia's chips are powering much of the rush into AI, which has seen it become a poster child of the AI boom.

Demand for its processors from the likes of Google, Microsoft and Facebook owner Meta have been outstripping supply. 

Nvidia's shares - up nearly 150% so far this year - are also being boosted by an upcoming move to split its stock by 10-to-one on Friday. 

Ian Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, said the stock split will "bring its share price down and make it more affordable to investors". 

Tech companies - including Microsoft and Apple - have been racing to develop AI and embed it in their products.

Nvidia is a younger company than some of its peers, having been founded in 1993. Similar to many tech giants, it was founded in California in the US.

Britain is less likely to lose power this winter than it was last year, according to the company that runs the grid.

National Grid's Electricity System Operator (ESO) said it expects power plants, wind farms and other generation methods to be able to provide more than enough power to meet demand this time around. 

In an early outlook, it said the grid would have an average margin - the difference between supply of electricity and demand for it - of 5.6 gigawatts (GW) this coming winter. 

This means the period when demand might outstrip supply is just 0.1 hours.

The increased margins are in part because of improved capacity, thanks to a new 765km high-voltage cable that connects the UK's electricity network with Denmark.

The cable, called an interconnector, is known as the Viking Link, and started transporting wind power between the two countries in December.

New gas generation, growth in battery storage capacity and increased generation connected to the distribution networks have also contributed to the higher margins. 

Despite this, ESO's chief operating officer Kayte O'Neill has said it will still need to be "vigilant" due to uncertainties around global energy markets.

"As a prudent system operator we remain vigilant, continuing to monitor potential risks and working closely with our partners to establish any actions necessary to build resilience," she said.

The continent's energy system has been forced to reinvent itself in recent years, faced with potential gas shortages due to the war in Ukraine.

The 20 countries using the euro currency have seen interest rates cut from record highs following progress in the battle against inflation over the past two-and-a-half years.

The Frankfurt-based European Central Bank (ECB) said it was "appropriate" to trim its main deposit rate from 4% to 3.75%.

It followed an assertion last month by its president, Christine Lagarde, that the pace of price increases was now "under control".

But the Bank declared in a statement that the battle was not won - signalling data-driven caution on future policy decisions in the months ahead.

Its staff even revised upwards their forecasts for inflation this year and next.

As we have been discussing in Money this week, the cut before the US and UK could weaken the euro - potentially making Britons' holiday money go further.

McVitie's is selling a new flavour of Jaffa Cake - and it marks the first ever non-fruit flavour since the treat launched in 1927.

Shelves across the country will soon be stocked cola bottle flavoured cakes.

The new flavour will launch in Asda stores from 10 June and be available in other UK supermarkets - including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Iceland and Co-op - in the coming weeks.

Adam Woolf, marketing director at McVitie's, said: "Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle is certainly one of our more unexpected product launches – stepping away from fruit flavours for the very first time. 

"Jaffa Cakes have always stood out from the crowd (and the biscuit aisle), but we really wanted to try something new with this one. It's no doubt going to cause some debate among our Jaffanatics, and we can't wait to hear what they think."

By  Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

Are we entering an era of interest rate cuts? Probably not. Or at least, not yet. 

But the European Central Bank (ECB) which controls the euro currency does look set to make their first cut in four years this afternoon. 

And Canada yesterday became the first country in the club of G7 industrialised nations to bring down borrowing costs by lowering their benchmark interest rate. 

The UK, however, isn't currently expected by markets to make a cut until September. 

Elsewhere, oil prices remain below $80 but are slightly more expensive than earlier this week. A barrel of the benchmark Brent crude oil costs $79.10.

The good news for people going on holidays to countries using the euro continues - the pound is still doing well against the currency with £1 equal to €1.1757. 

That could go even higher after the ECB decision at 1.15pm. A pound also can buy $1.2783. 

Like in the US, the UK's most valuable companies have become more valuable as the FTSE (Financial Times Stock Exchange) 100 and 250 indices are up 0.33% and 0.41% respectively.

Every Thursday  Savings Champion founder Anna Bowes  gives an insight into the savings market and how to make the most of your money...

Can you believe we are almost halfway through 2024?

Although the rate rises that we have seen this year have slowed compared with the previous couple of years, and we have even seen some falls, savers are now able to find hundreds of savings accounts that pay an interest rate higher than inflation.

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics showed inflation was still higher than predicted, however - which means the anticipated base rate cut is likely to be pushed back again – into the second half of this year.

While bad news for borrowers, this is great news for savers.

Incredibly, the latest statistics from the Bank of England show there is over £253bn sitting in current accounts and savings accounts earning no interest at all.

With top rates available paying 5% or even a bit more, that is potentially £12.65bn of gross interest that is not being claimed by savers.

So now really is the time to move your money if you have cash languishing, earning less than inflation, especially if you can lock some away with a fixed rate, as a base rate cut will happen at some stage, we just don't know when.

Easy access

If you think you'll need access to your money, an easy access account is a wise choice.

The base rate cuts that we have been waiting for are yet to start, so the top rates on offer are still paying almost as much as they were at the beginning of the year.

Fixed-term bonds 

There is a strange phenomenon with fixed-term bond rates at the moment: the longer you tie up your cash, the lower the interest rates on offer.

Normally, you'd expect to be rewarded for tying up your cash over the longer term - but base rate forecasts have flipped this.

Fixed-term cash ISAs

A frequent complaint that I hear from savers is that the tax-free rates on ISAs are usually lower than the pre-tax rates on the equivalent non-ISA accounts – and this is particularly true with fixed-term accounts.

As many more savers are paying tax on their interest once again, cash ISAs are more popular than ever, as the tax-free rate of the ISA can still be considerably more than the interest earned after tax has been deducted on the non-ISA bond equivalents.

The renowned "50 Best" list of the world's best restaurants was revealed in Las Vegas last night - with a new restaurant taking top spot.

Disfrutar in Barcelona took the crown from Central in Lima, Peru (previous winners are ineligible and instead join a Best of the Best list).

Eating the standard menu costs £247 (€290) - with an extra £136 (€160) if you want the wine pairing.

To be fair, you do get around 30 courses.

They also offer a unique menu for your table for between €1,050 and €390 per person - the more people, the less it costs.

The 50 Best list says: "The combination of brilliantly imaginative dishes, unsurpassed technical mastery and playful presentation results in the dining experience of a lifetime, as full of surprises as it is memories."

Dishes include:

• Caviar-filled Panchino doughnut
• Frozen gazpacho sandwich
• Thai-style cuttlefish with coconut multi-spherical
• Squab with kombu spaghetti, almond and grape

Two UK restaurants made the top 50 but the UK was eclipsed by countries from across South America as well as Thailand, Italy, France and Spain.

London's Kol moved up slightly to 17, while Ikoyi, which we reported on a few weeks ago following a link-up with Uber Eats, came it at 42.

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