Usually the fathers of these children did leave and suddenly their mothers, who previously often stayed home to raise them, became more unavailable to them by entering the work-force full time, increasing their workload or entering school. These children suffered greatly from not only the disappearance of one parent, but the diminution of time with their primary caretaker (usually the mother). Wallerstein reports that these children (now adults) feel that they lost their childhood.

They yearned sadly to be nurtured, protected and guided.

The information garnered by Wallerstein which is most important for the professionals in the legal system (judges, attorneys, mediators and mental health professionals) to absorb is that these children felt they were not given a voice at the time of the divorce.