Every quote tells a child’s story
“When I walk away from mum, I feel sad. Then, when I walk away from dad I’m sad too. I am almost always sad now.” Max, 9
“My mother is crazy about control; she always calls when I’m with dad. She won’t leave us alone.” Jessie, 12
“I would like to cut myself in the middle and spread myself out fairly – then, there would be peace at last.” Jan, 7
“If they yell at each other, I get scared. Then, sometimes, I wet my pants – and I’m already grown up.” Janik, 6
“I always have a stomach-ache at school on Friday. I don’t know if they’ll fight again when Dad picks me up.” Maja, 8
“I am ashamed when my parents talk badly about each other. Then, I despise them both.” Philip, 14
“Everyone wants to be the better parent and they think I don’t notice. That makes me puke. I love them both as they are.” Lena, 15
“The judge should order parents to get along.” Toni, 11
“Grandma and Grandpa explain to me why Mum and Dad are so weird right now. That helps me.” Tilly, 8
“I’m so proud of my divorced parents; no-one says a bad word about the other. They’re like friends now.“ Timo,12
“When I’m in bed, I always think of a real family where everyone likes each other. Then, I don’t feel so lonely anymore.” Clara, 10
“When mum notices how much I love dad, then she’s so sad.” Raffaela, 4
“Sometimes I wish I were dead, then all of this would stop.” Kevin, 11
“When I come back, I’ll be questioned as if by the police: What did you do? When did you go to bed? Who else was there? That drives me crazy.” Anna, 10
“I haven’t said anything for a long time. They run straight to the lawyer with everything; they don‘t speak normally to each other any more. And, certainly not with me. I’m gone on my 18th birthday.” Pierre, 16
“I can run as fast as Mum and calculate as well as Dad. I have inherited the best of both of them. I don’t lose anyone. We just live in two apartments.” Joshua, 8
Each short quote tells a child’s story. A window opens and we can imagine much more of their unique experiences of family separation.
Photo by Jonathan Borba, Unsplash
