First they took smoking out of the car with children and now parents have to go to school if they want to split up. So much for freedom....isn't that what the conservatives always yell about?

Because Oklahoma sucks

The one in which I mostly practice does, and I think it's a good idea.

Divorcing parents with minor children need to hear the following:

1) Children know they are 1/2 you and 1/2 your spouse, so don't bad-mouth the spouse in front of the children, because when you're bad-mouthing the spouse, you're bad-mouthing your children too ... and they know it. It hurts.

2) You and your spouse may not get along, but the kids are innocent here. Don't make them the victims of your dispute. Certainly don't use them as weapons against your spouse. To do so is horribly unjust and very cruel.

3) The kids get the family's primary residence. It's not you or your spouse who gets the house; it's the kids. The idea is to minimize the disruption of the children's lives, and they (plus whomever is the primary physical custodian of the children) should get the house ... because that's the right thing to do for the children.

4) You and your spouse must be able to communicate in a civil manner because you will be discussing your joint children (ideally) for the rest of your lives. You might as well start learning how to be civil to one another now.

Children often suffer needlessly when their parents divorce. It will always be difficult but when the parents beat each other over the head with their children it is horrible. Personally I think that this kind of child abuse should be criminal but maybe with pre-divorce counseling and education it will minimize the damage.

I would add that if post-divorce there is evidence of the children being overly distressed by their divorced parents that there be follow up.

so I don't know if this is actually that bad an idea.