Half the couples I know living around me have separated. Apparently this is unusual.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies released a paper last month evaluating the 2006 family law changes. I was trawling through it, looking at stats like the fact that half of the couples who broke up had children under 3 years old, and "The education levels were lower than those found among parents who were together" as were the employment rates.
Interesting stats, somewhat predictable in a few ways - people with less life choices and fewer advantages are more likely to separate.
My separated friends fit in some of the median stats - children under 3. But not all - many of them have completed Degrees and most are employed in some way or another. So why are break up rates so high here?
I have a couple of theories. Couples do tend to spend more time together. This could be a hazard because we tire of each other more easily and also because we can't hide so much. Perhaps our city cousins can hide their affairs from their partners more easily.
On the other hand there are a few couples I know where one person travels regularly for work - like three days a week away. This could have the opposite damaging effect of both people living like they're single.
Also we can get bored up here in the sticks, that is a dangerous phenomenon.
One friend's theory is that we have a need to hinder the paradise in which we live. It's so ideal up here with a low cost of living, adorable surroundings. We feel a need to make life hard to make it interesting.
I'm just glad my youngest child is turning 10 this year, 2 years off being in the 7% bracket for likelihood to break up.
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