Glad my parents divorced

Patio at Beverly Hills High School (1998) Life Yearbook signing.

Harsh? Maybe. But hear me out.

I recently read 𝘐'𝘮 𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘪𝘦𝘥 by Jennette McCurdy — a raw, honest look at trauma, control, and silence behind closed doors.

It made me reflect on my own uncomfortable truth.

The custody battles. The power struggles. The courts.

Unlike Jennette, I fought back — a lot — with my single mom.

Where did that independence come from?

At a young age, my mom gave me small freedoms.

Like riding my 10-speed bike to the grocery store, her checkbook in hand, to buy milk and snacks.

All by myself.

In Beverly Hills.

I didn't care if anyone saw me. I had freedom.

But here's the double-edged sword of raising independent kids:

By senior year, she had no control over me.

And the divorce? It helped me see something most kids don't want to see:

Parents are flawed.

My mom lived in an emotional illusion of success.

The out-of-control spending. The maxed-out credit cards.

She pretended everything was "fine."

But kids can see the truth.

We feel the instability — even when no one says a word.

Her financial chaos scared me.

And that fear became fuel.

I understood my reality early: 

If I wanted options, I had to create them myself.

No one was coming to rescue me.

This is Life (my yearbook cover, sophomore year) 

That's when I learned one of the most important lessons of my life:

I had to become rich so I didn't need to depend on someone else's money.

But because I refused to be financially dependent on anyone — ever.

⸻

👉 Here's what I'd tell parents today:

Give your kids small doses of independence early.

Let them fail. Let them figure things out on their own.

Let them see that money doesn't just "appear."

Because the kids who learn financial reality young?

They might be a step ahead.

Because I learned about money at a young age,  

And this is why I'm glad my parents divorced. 

What early experiences did you have with money and freedom?

Tiffany Kent

Your Friendly Wealth Engagement Guide

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