BROOKLYN, N.Y., March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With the divorce rate hovering around 50% in the United States, children continue to be among the hardest hit by the dissolution of a marriage. Effects can include depression, anger, behavioral problems, social problems, irrational phobias and many other reactions. Ongoing strife between the divorcing parents can worsen the impact while a harmonious and cooperative environment and support from both parents can be the best tool for lessening the effects of divorce on a child.
"One of the most challenging relationships is that between a mother and stepmother," says Ellen Gottlieb, organizer of the Peace Starts at Home Peace Summit, an event dedicated to bringing mothers and stepmothers together. "Children of divorced parents need a peaceful, stable and healthy environment in which to thrive," Ms. Gottlieb added. "We are making that possible where it wasn't before." The Peace Summit will be held on Wednesday, May 18th from 7:00PM to 9:00PM at PS 29 in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.
The event will feature a panel of experts in the field of raising children of divorced parents moderated by Dane Peters, Head of School of the Brooklyn Heights Montessori School. The panel will include Brenda Ockun, publisher of StepMom Magazine, Jennifer Newcomb Marine, co-author of No One's the Bitch; A Ten Step Plan for the Mother and Stepmother Relationship and Jeanette Lofas, Ph.D., LCSW, Founder and President of The Stepfamily Foundation and winner of the 1995 Presidential Award for "outstanding efforts to strengthen step relationships across America and thus contribute to effective parenting." Gottlieb went on to say, "It's possible for moms and stepmoms to work together, if the children come first. The purpose of this event is to show parents that it is possible, and to help them get there. I know it's not easy."
The Peace Summit will also feature a play, The Other Mother, by Isidore Elias, illustrating how gridlock between a mom and a stepmom can be broken. StepMom Magazine will be sponsoring the event with additional sponsors to be announced. For more information contact Ellen Gottlieb at [email protected]. Visit the Peace Starts at Home Facebook page at www.facebook.com/peacestartsathome.
Ellen Gottlieb is an associate broker at Brooklyn Bridge Realty and a resident of Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Her own experiences and a firm commitment to what's possible led her to found Peace Starts at Home.
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