A synthesis pulls together information from additional sources or experiences to make a new point. Here is a synthesis of the textbook material on divorce (see “Summary”). Because the writer wanted to address some of the questions she raised in her analysis, she incorporated additional details from published sources and from people she interviewed. Her synthesis of this information helped her arrive at a fresh conclusion.
First source
In the Textbook of Basic Nursing, Rosdahl and Kowalski focus on the problems faced by children of divorce, both right after the split and later on. According to the authors, immediate problems can include emotional and behavioral difficulties and trouble in school. Later on, parents’ remarriage can create additional stresses for children. Although the authors discuss the impact of divorce on all parties, they do not suggest ways in which parents or stepparents might help children through the process of divorce or remarriage. However, other sources, as well as original research on friends who have experienced divorce as children or adults, provide some additional insights into these questions.
Second source
A Web site produced by the staff at the Mayo Clinic recommends that parents come together to break the news about their divorce to their children. The Web site also suggests that parents keep the discussion brief and free of “ugly details.” In addition, parents should emphasize that the children are in no way to blame for the divorce and that they are deeply loved. As the divorce proceeds, neither parent should speak negatively about the other parent in the child’s presence or otherwise try to turn the child against the ex-
Third source
The Web site of the University of Missouri Extension addresses the problems that can arise for children after their parents remarry. Specifically, the Web site describes several things that stepparents can do to make their stepchildren feel more comfortable with them and the new family situation. One strategy is to try to establish a friendship with the children before assuming the role of a parent. Later, once stepparents have assumed a more parental role, they should make sure they and their spouse stand by the same household rules and means of discipline. With time, the stepparents might also add new traditions for holidays and other family gatherings to help build new family bonds while respecting the old ones.
Fourth source
To these sources, I added interviews with three friends — two who are children of divorce and one who is both a divorced parent and a stepparent. The children of divorce said that they experienced many of the same difficulties and stresses that Rosdahl and Kowalski described. Interestingly, though, they also reported that they felt guilty, even though their parents told them not to, just as the Mayo Clinic experts recommend. As my friend Kris said, “For a long time after the divorce, every time me and my dad were together, he seemed distracted, like he wished I wasn’t there. I felt bad that I couldn’t just vanish.” Dale, the stepparent I interviewed, liked the strategies suggested by the University of Missouri Extension, and he had actually tried some of these approaches with his own stepchildren. However, as Dale told me, “When you’re as busy as most parents and kids are these days, you can let important things fall by the wayside — even time together. That’s not good for anyone.”
Fresh conclusion
Thinking back on Kris’s and Dale’s words and everything I’ve learned from the other sources, I have come to conclude that divorced parents and stepparents need to make sure they build “together time” with their own children and/or stepchildren into every day. Even if this time is just a discussion over a meal or a quick bedtime story, children will remember it and appreciate it. This approach would help with some of the relationship building that the University of Missouri Extension recommends. It would also improve communication, help children understand that they are truly loved by all their parents, and assist with the process of postdivorce healing.
Works Cited
Leigh, Sharon and Maridith Jackson. “Foundations for a Successful Stepfamily.” The University of Missouri Extension, Apr. 2007. Web. 13 Oct. 2011.
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Children and Divorce: Helping Kids After a Breakup.” Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic, 14 May 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2011.
Rosdahl, Caroline Bunker, and Mary T. Kowalski. Textbook of Basic Nursing. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008. 92. Print.
Synthesizing is important for longer writing assignments and research papers, in which you need to make connections among different works. Many courses that involve writing, such as history and psychology, require papers that synthesize information from more than one source.