For kids throughout Colorado, the summer vacation has finally arrived. For them, summertime often means more time to relax at home, play with friends, travel and maybe take in a swimming lesson or two. For many parents, however, summer break is not necessarily a “break” at all.
In fact, summer vacation can be very stressful time of year for some couples with children, and one study even suggests that this stress may contribute to a higher risk of divorce. In a poll of 2,008 adults in the U.K., nearly one in five said they were considering divorce or separation by the end of summer vacation, once their kids had gone back to school in the fall.
Although the poll focused on families from across the pond, their experiences will likely ring true for many couples right here in Colorado. One of the biggest factors cited by couples considering a split after summer break was money – a nearly universal stressor. About one-half of those couples said they experienced additional financial stress as a result of having the kids home for the summer, often due to increased spending on travel and other summertime activities.
In another way of looking at things, however, summer break may not so much cause divorce as simply delay it. Oftentimes, couples who are experiencing relationship problems may view summer as a time to make one final effort before deciding to part ways. Other parents may simply put off a split until fall in order to avoid putting a damper on their children’s summer fun.
Source: Huffington Post, “Divorce Study Finds That A Fifth Of U.K. Parents Consider Divorce After Summer Break,” Aug. 23, 2013 (viewed June 13, 2014)