 One of our counselors here at Focus on the Family told me about a child who said, half of me is mom, half of me is dad. If they hate each other, how can they possibly love me? Children bond with their parents in deeply profound ways. They're like two pieces of paper glued together. No matter how carefully you pull them apart, the end result is always messy. In fact, studies show that losing a parent to divorce can be as traumatizing to a child as losing a parent to death.