The Great Treehouse War

Children with parents who are divorced often experience several adverse long-term effects including lower self-esteem, difficulty forming stable relationships, and mental health conditions like anxiety or depression. However, recent research like that of communications scholar, Dr. Tamara Afifi, suggests that the most significant factor in the development of these negative effects is not divorce itself, but the quality of communication between parents. 

When tested in a clinical setting, researchers discovered that children presented higher stress levels, emotional dysregulation, and physiological symptoms like persistent stomachache when their parents exhibited patterns of intense conflict, regardless of whether or not the parents were married. Children in this situation had difficulty regulating stress after witnessing their parents argue. On the other hand, children whose parents were divorced but able to co-parent and communicate effectively demonstrated less stress after witnessing arguments. These findings suggest that while children may be influenced in the short-term by the effects of divorce, the amount of conflict between the two parents is the more significant predictor in whether the children will develop long-term adverse effects. Many children do not speak up because they feel it will worsen their parents’ conflict, contributing to the dysregulation and mental distress they experience.

In the novel, Winnie’s parents engage in an over-the-top competition with each other to ensure they each have equal time with Winnie. Like other children of highly tense divorce situations, Winnie does not feel that she can confront her parents about the impact their actions are having on her life, even when she is at risk of failing the fifth grade because of it. Graff uses exaggeration and humor to depict Winnie’s reaction to this stress, highlighting the desperation and lack of control a child might feel in this situation. In the novel, Winnie experiences a stomach-churning sensation “like a washing machine that ha[s] gone off-balance” when caught in the middle of conflicts (194). Using realistic elements to a sometimes-exaggerated degree allows Graff to connect with the real experiences of children in high-conflict parental divorce situations. Through Winnie’s arc— learning to advocate for her needs and navigate her family dynamics—Graff creates an accessible narrative to encourage and empower readers in similar situations to navigate their own family difficulties.