Your Family

DIVORCE AND LEARNING A study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family found that while kids generally recover from the psychological damage of a divorce within three years, their schoolwork often suffers for longer. Ohio State researchers found that students from divorced families had lower test scores than did those from intact families. The report suggests that kids who fall behind academically during the turbulence of a divorce may later have difficulty catching up.

CRASH STRESS Research from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has shown that families involved in car crashes are often affected by acute stress disorders that last far beyond any physical injuries. After an accident, parents should be on the lookout for a change in kids' grades or loss of concentration, and increased tearfulness or jumpiness in all family members.

MARRIED NAMES Marriage is a changing institution, but most brides are still traditionalists when it comes to names. A survey by Bride's Magazine found that 8 of 10 brides are planning to take the surname of their new husband. The percentage of women keeping their own name or hyphenating has stayed relatively stable. But a growing (if small) number of couples are choosing to have the husband take his wife's name or creating a new family name by combining letters from both names.