Family Forum / Parenting / Parenting / March 2007

A recent study reveals that 70% of all marriages end due to financial
stress. Add to that crushing statistic that divorce has not only
become acceptable, but nearly inevitable!  Why?  Because we as a
society don't take the time to do the work up front to ensure lifelong
happiness. In fact, many smart, single girls revert back to schoolgirl
fantasies once the ring goes on their finger. Faster than their guy
can get up off of bended knee, these girls are pulling out the bridal
magazines and obsessing over napkins and cake flavors. Combining two
well-lived lives requires as much attention, more in fact, as planning
a fairytale wedding. So <a href="http://everygirlsguides.com"
title="second wives">Every Single Girl's Guide To Her Future Husband's
Last Divorce</a> is my contribution to all future second wives out
there so they can learn the ropes without getting in the ring. We owe
it to ourselves and our families to protect our ASSets!

How does that apply to Child Support?  The Child Support INDUSTRY has
become so overgrown that it will start to eat its young soon.
Seriously, they have rampant fraud, embezzelment, accounting errors
and are responsible for more deaths per year that Osama Bin Laden.
How is it that they can continue to spout the "Best Interest of the
Child" without proof?  They are all required to show that their
actions are meeting their intended purpose.  I think the experiment
has gone on long enough.  Think back to prohibition.  When we figured
out that it was a bad idea, we repealed it.  I think that Child
Support as an industry is a bad idea for families and the nation.
Children need support, not bureaucrats profiting off of their backs.
We've gotten to the place where the industry is creating more harm
than good.  The UK just admitted defeat and is scrapping thier, I
think it's time we admitted the same.

I've had great conversations with dedicated folks from all sides of
the issue.  And we all seem to agree on nearly everything.  So I think
if we can stay focused on what we agree on, and fix that first, the
rest will iron itself out.  If parents knew going in that it wouldn't
be a fight, and nobody had the power of the state to back them up -
knew that they had to come to an agreement between them - I think more
than half of the issues would dry up.  I've tried it in a pilot
program.  I took warring couples and said, that's it, no more for
either of you.  Here's the decisions you have to make, and YOU have to
decide.  The Judge will not decide for you.  Then we sent them to
coparenting classes where they learned the same vocabulary and guess
what?  They decided, the kids are doing better in school, and the
parents are getting along better.  Win Win Win All Around!  But the
child support agency lost out on a hefty commission.  But really, who
would you rather support? A kid or a bureacrat?  I pick the Kid every
time!