Post-HSC divorce happens when women in their 40s and 50s keep the family together for the youngest child’s exams, then start making their plans for freedom.
This
is one reason why divorce rates for Australian women in this age group
are soaring higher than any other, relationship experts say.
From 2001 to 2006 there was a 0.7 percent increase in women
divorcing in the 50-54 age bracket and a 0.6 percent increase in women
aged 55-64 divorcing, according to the latest marriages and divorces
report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Divorce rates for younger women at the same also decreased.
Pam Lewis, the director of clinical services at
Relationships Australia said marriage exit strategies or five-year plans
were increasingly common for older women who were not satisfied and had
delayed separation for the sake of their children’s upbringing or
education.
Such exit strategies would often coincide with their
children’s education – leaving the marriage as their children started
school, left school or finished university, Lewis said.
Anne Hollonds, a psychologist, said she saw many examples of
the post HSC divorce when she was the head of Relationships Australia
NSW.
She said it’s a common trend for women who are unhappy with their marriages to wait until their children finish the HSC or have left home.
Yvonne Alenn, owner of one of the first matchmaking services
in Australia, has her own theory on why 40s and 50s women are
divorcing.
Ms. Allen, who is also a psychologist, said a lot of women
in this age group with the high divorce rates have focused on succeeding
in careers that once weren’t available for women. With expectations of
life and relationships, the whole scenario changed.
Michelle Allen, a small business owner and mother of two,
contemplated for a year before ending her six-year marriage at the age
of 44.
She was unsure about taking on a single parent role, being financially secure
and building her own web designing business. She realized she could
make that transition once she started exercising and living a healthier
lifestyle.
Now she’s a lot happier in life.
Divorcing
women in their 40s and 50s will face a lot of challenges. But it is how
we choose to handle life’s circumstances that matter in the end. We can
choose to be truthful with ourselves, or we can choose to continue
living a convenient interpretation. One way to make the divorce easier
is through releasing negative thoughts and feelings.
Find local divorce information, click here: https://www.divorcemag.com/findprofessional.php.
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