Comment by: Kyra

Hi, I’m 14 years old (will be 15 in August) and live in Indiana. My parents are getting divorced and I can’t stand the thought of living with either one without the other. Both my parents are heavy drinkers and I know my parents well enough to know that without each other they both would be a wreck. My mom would become depressed and fail as a parent, and my dad would be angry all the time and just drink that much more. My question is that if I have a good, willing family to take me in until I become legal age (That both my parents like very much) could I stay with them with the concent of at least one parent?
-Thank you, God Bless.
Dear Kyra: We’re very sorry to hear about your situation. You are correct that you are going to need your parents’ consent in order to live with another relative. Whether or not you will need both parents’ consent will depend on a number of factors including the custody arrangements that are made between your parents or the court if your parents cannot work out an agreement on their own. If both parents have custody, then chances are that they will both need to consent. Perhaps you could try sitting down with them and having a heart to heart or even write them a letter if it’s too hard to confront them in person. Let them know how you feel and why you think it would be best to live with this other family member. They may be willing to let you live there or they may realize how their behavior is negatively affecting you and make an effort to change. Finally, take a look at our recent interview with teen behavior specialist Josh Shipp and watch the video at the end about improving your relationship with your parents. It’s pretty powerful. We wish you all the best.
(This is information only – not legal advice.)