Going through a divorce sucks, especially when you’re a kid stuck in the middle.
I recentlyaskedtheBuzzFeed Communityto share when they knew their parents' marriage was doomed.
Here are the most heartbreaking stories:
Note: Some submissions are from thisReddit thread.
Warning: Some responses in this post mention abuse.
I remember feeling surreal, almost an out-of-body experience.
It was the death of my childhood leaving my body."
I found it odd.
I could see they were different than other married couples I knew.
In hindsight, this was a huge red flag.
I didn’t know what divorce was…I was 3."
mudda8139
3.
“They were sleeping in different rooms because of ‘back issues.'”
“Honestly, I think I always knew.
I always thought it should be more than it was.
They didn’t fight or anything, they just didn’t talk to each other.
When my parents got home shortly after, they came into my room.
Mom asked what was wrong, I told her, and she confirmed that she was leaving my dad.
Needless to say, freshman year of college didn’t get off to the best start.”
mo2758
5.
Anonymous
7.
“I knew my parents needed to divorce when holidays became really awkward.
Christmas wasn’t like it normally was.
It was always filled with the silent treatment or awkward tension.
My dad was also a major narcissist so there’s that.”
“I was 7 years old when I knew something wasn’t right between my parents.
I responded with, ‘May I ask who’s calling?’
She replied, ‘Hi (insert my name)!
My name is (not my mom’s name).
I’m a friend of your dad’s.’
I had no idea who the woman was.
I’m 31 BTW.
Fast forward two years later, my parents officially separated after being together for 17 years.
Anonymous, Kentucky, Georgia
9.
He was cheating on my mom with another woman.
One night my sister and I woke up to find my parents arguing.
He had been caught sneaking in.
They were divorced by my sixth birthday.”
“When my dad cut our last family vacation short and drove all night to get home early.
We later found out it was to get back to his girlfriend.”
carolineaveritt
11.
“My mom took us kids to see her parents and dad stayed home.
Then, things around the house went missing and my dad kept disappearing into this new room.
One morning, I was woken up by them arguing.
‘What am I supposed to do without a toaster, David?!’
So…it was a toaster.”
“We had no idea.
One day we were in the den watching TV.
My mother came to the den and said, ‘Kids, family meeting in the living room.’
My brother’s friend was confused and asked, ‘Me too?’
‘Yes, you too,’ she said.
We were all floored and none of us kids had seen it coming.
Our family was the talk of the town for a while.”
u/foxyfree
13.
“When I was 5 my parents used to argue every night.
One day they gathered my brother and me together and somberly said they had something to tell us.
Before they could say another word I said, ‘You’re getting a divorce.’
Freshman year of college, they divorced.
It was pretty amicable, honestly, but it ruined my concept of trusting relationships.”
u/Helenesdottir
15.
“I knew my parents’ marriage was ending when they were constantly fighting.
My siblings and I were often sent to our grandparents' house.
Some guy was coming over a lot and sleeping on the couch.
Anonymous, Iowa
17.
“My parents absolutely despise each other and were planning on divorcing when I was about 5 years old.
And then mom got pregnant and they decided to stay together for the children.
I got in my car and drove away.
He followed me, apologized, and tried to take back what he said.”
“I was about 11 when they got divorced.
It was obvious they shouldn’t have been together because they treated each other like crap.
They always fought and the cops were involved at some point, too.
I accidentally found my dad’s diary while playing hide and seek.
I think I was about 7 or 8 maybe.
and how she knew he was constantly cheating because she would get infections.
I’ve known more intimate information about my parents than my brothers.
It really warped my perception of love and marriage.”
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
