“Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart’s deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?”

Many couples are deciding to change their answer.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly half of all first marriages end in divorce; therefore a large portion of American teenagers have become accustom to the phrases “Mom’s house” and “Dad’s house.”

According to the Rainbows National Headquarters, one in every two children will live in a single-parent family at some point in their childhood; one in three is born to unmarried parents; one in four lives with only one parent; one in eight is born to a teen mom; and one in 25 lives with neither parent.

With statistics like these, how are students in divorced or unmarried households hanging on?

 “It was a positive thing for my family,” said junior Taylar Waite whose parents split when she was less than a year old. “They wouldn’t be happily married. But I sometimes wish they were still together. It would make things a lot easier.”

Separation and divorce leads single parents to shoulder increased work and responsibility at home, according to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Children of separated parents often have increased responsibility, independence, and interdependence. This can result in a positive effect of divorce.

“I feel a lot more independent,” said sophomore Mariah Klanchar. Klanchar was 10 when her parents filed for divorce. “I’m glad they got divorced when they did. If they got divorced now, I’d be like ‘Thank God, finally.’”

Children sometimes connect with teachers, coaches, religious mentors, counselors, or other adults who use the same caring and structured approach as successful parents might, according to the NASP. The positive outcome of these connections can be important factors for kids from divorced families.

Divorce is a big event. For some students life may never be the same; some face custody arrangements, changing schools, or both of their parents may be dating. They may look at their past life and wonder if they could have done something differently or prevented the divorce somehow.

Sophomore Breanna Gullett said that her parents recently separated. “I’m sad that I don’t get to see my mom as much, but it’s hard on my little siblings most because it feels like they lost a parent. They always tell me how they miss mom.” Gullett said if there is a lot of fighting and there are kids around the house, divorce is a positive necessity. “It’s peaceful now.”

The Center for Young Women’s Health says that kids whose parents are getting divorced most often feel surprised, anxious, sadness and loss, anger, fear of losing both parents, guilt, loneliness, worried about their own ability to have a good relationship or marriage in the future, or embarrassed. But commonly kids will also feel relieved because there is less stress at home and happy to have special time alone with each parent.

“I like having divorced parents,” said Klanchar. “If they were still together, there would be so many fights,and I would probably want to move out.”