2987 Freemont Street

Round Rock, Texas 78681

November 9, 2016

1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Sir/Madam Future President:

Parents are essential to raising children. They show deep affection towards them, decide what they think is preeminent for them, and provide a roof over their head. Adults do everything in their will to make their little ones have a ceaseless smile on his/her face. In an intact family, the mother and father make decisions jointly. However, many families in the United States don’t remain “intact”- parents divorce leaving their kids the raft of the separation. The children will first ponder, “Will I still get to see my mother and father?”. Because a child should under no circumstances have to think about not getting to see their parents, both of the children’s parents should have joint custody of their little darlings.

Adolescents with divorced progenitors that only live with one parent affect the child’s behavior in a negative outcome. Those kids start to have a hard time facing others at school. For example, Wong said 1 “My parents divorce increased [my bullying] tenfold, but after a couple weeks, I started feeling depressed and became really quiet and shy. It was tough being 10 years old and not understanding why your dad has to leave and why your mother cries herself to sleep at night.” Studies have shown that 2 “They (the children) have more aggressive, impulsive, and antisocial behaviors” after experiencing a divorce. Would you want your child to have a catastrophic life because of you not being there for them? Therefore, children will have a better life if their parents decide to have joint custody as part of the annulment.

3 Rosen found that 60% of children wanted unrestricted contact, regardless of whether the noncustodial parent was mother or father. This analysis proves that the majority of offspring want to see both of their biological parents.6 "I wish my father would have chosen love and found a way to stay in our lives. When my mother was angry beyond belief, I wish she would have chosen love and let us talk to my father on the phone. What I wish my parents knew... is that even though a marriage is over, kids still love and need both of you in their lives.” All progeny should be able to have contact with both their mother and their father, since the children themselves support joint custody rather than full custody. Would you want to see a 3-year-old live with their dad and never see their mother ever again?

5 There are many benefits of joint custody, such as children living longer and having physically/mentally healthier lives. Furthermore, academically, they receive exceptional grades and are more likely to graduate high school and attend college.When the children grow up in a joint custody environment, they usually are: less likely to be poor, they have a possibility that they won’t consume alcohol or do drugs, and are more likely to have a successful marriage when they are older. So shouldn't we do what’s best for the children and not ourselves?

Some people say joint custody may cause confusion or upset the balance of a child's life due to the constant changing of a child's physical environment. I agree, but even though it might cause the child to be confused in the beginning of the new change, in the long run it’d be better for the child to know both of their parents. Living without one of their parents would make them sad and/or mad that it was their fault they don’t see their mom or dad.

Since you know the difference between joint and full custody, take in consideration that these children are depending on you to make the right decision. Please make a rule stating that all divorced parents have the option of joint custody, which is highly recommended for the child's future. No child deserves to not be able to see both of their parents. Do this for the children.

Sincerely,

Jaya Bhatnagar

Former 8th grade student

1- Wong

2-Medical Branch Clinic, Naval Hospital, Jacksonville, Fla.

3- Rosen

4-Kimanzi Constable

5-A team of scholars Universities of Texas, Virginia, Minnesota, Chicago, Maryland, Washington, UC Berkeley, and Rutgers University)