Kim has just signed her divorce papers and can't hide the sadness and confusion she feels. Two years ago, everyone was telling her that living with her boyfriend was a great idea. They said she could get to know him better and see if the marriage would work. She trusted her friends and figured that since everyone was doing it, it must be the wisest choice. What went wrong? Why was she unhappy with her marriage even after getting to know her husband through cohabitation? Would things have been different if she hadn't listened to her friends and everyone around her? Over the years, couples choose to live together before or rather than getting married. Cohabitation outside of marriage leads to an unhealthy situation for children, less commitment to the relationship and leads to problems if the couple decides to marry. One of the problems with cohabitation (living together romantically outside of marriage) is an unhealthy living situation for children. children. Katherine Kersten, a senior researcher at the Center of American Experiment, says children living in a cohabiting home with their mother and her boyfriend rather than in a home with their married parents are eleven times more likely to be emotionally, physically or sexually abused (Kersten, 2013). ). This is usually because the boyfriend doesn't feel emotionally connected to the child because it's not his. Sociologist and marriage researcher Linda J. Waite (2000) states in her article on cohabitation that "when it comes to hitting, shoving, and throwing objects, cohabiting couples are more than three times as likely to likely for the bride and groom to say that things are going well. so uncontrollable” (p. 3). It can be argued that cohabitation is better for children than in the middle of a paper and being with them forever, rather than obviously not working.ReferencesEdmonds, M. (2013). Does living together before marriage lead to divorce? Retrieved November 6, 2013, from http://www.health.howstuffworks.com/relationahips/advice/living-together-before-marriage.htm Kersten, K. (July 2013). Living together before marriage harms women. Accessed November 6, 2013, from http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/217173431.htmlStanley, SM, Rhoades, GK, & Markman, HJ (2006). Sliding versus deciding: Inertia and the premarital cohabitation effect. Family Relations, 55(4), 499-509. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.clicnet.clic.edu/docview/213933889?accountid=12915 Waite, L. J. (2000). The negative effects of cohabitation. The Community Network, 10(1),1-6. Retrieved from http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/rcq/rcq_negativeeffects_waite.html