To think, of all the times we talked about the cruel consequences of marriage and divorce, we never thought of the children! We’re MONSTERS! Thanks to the Telegraph, though, we’ve been reminded that those who suffer most from divorce have no choice in it – the kiddos.

According to a new study by the Demos thinktank, children whose parents divorce before the age of five are more likely to binge drink as teenagers and later in life.

According to report author Jamie Bartlett,

Divorce won’t make your child a drinker, but instability and stress around relationship breakdown takes its toll on parents and children. Difficult relationships and high levels of stress for parents with young children have been shown to affect children later on and their relationship with alcohol is no exception.

The study went on to show that parents who are “disengaged” with their children, or “uninvolved with their children, and do not structure their activities or set standards for their behaviour,” are also more likely to drink in the teens and later.

How can we combat this growing army of wasted youth? Waiting on marriage, of course. Those who wait to marry are less likely to divorce, so by holding off on marriage and enjoying the single lifestyle until you’re definitely ready to commit, you’re not only ensuring your own happiness, but the sobriety of your children!

Reason #77,012 not to get married: if you get divorced, you’ll have a sh*t-faced teenager running around your house. NO THANKS.