Not A Shocker: Divorce Rates Are Up In The Pandemic Era

According to the latest statistics reported by ABC News Bay Area’s Laura Anthony this past July , more and more couples in the U.S. are getting divorced during the current pandemic. One big reason? According to California Attorneys that Laura spoke with, many married couples are stuck at home, and they’re driving each other crazy. According to these same statistics, the number of individuals filing for divorce was 34 percent higher from March, 2020 through June, 2020 compared to the same months last year. According to Laura Anthony, experts she spoke to said the combination of stress, unemployment, financial strain, illness, and kids not in school put a significant strain on relationships. According to Anthony’s reporting, Newlyweds fared the worst: 20% of couples who sought divorce had been married only within the past five months! These sad statistics beg the question: what are YOU doing to keep your “quarantine-close” relationship from hitting the skids? My Kindergarten Teacher/Spouse Meg has set up her “Virtual Classroom” in our son Brett’s former bedroom, and she’s at home teaching/ZOOMing/inputting all day; we are together from noon, on, most days of the week. I have learned some tricks to healthy cohabitation that I will share with you:

#1: Don’t “pop in” to the room your spouse is working in, unless the house is collapsing

#2: Don’t bring up any non-work related issues until after 5:00 pm

#3: Keep plenty of their favorite coffee, creamer, and snacks on hand

#4: Text if you need something, even if you’re only one room away

You’re welcome…now try and stay married.

John Young