Skilsmisse og barnets bedste – før og nu, mellem hverdagsliv og politik

Family life today is diverse and historical understandings of what family life is and shouldbe are challenged. Approximately 1/3 of all children in Scandinavia experience their parents’divorce during childhood. Despite divorce, children’s rights to an everyday life with bothparents are emphasized as a way to take care of the child. However, this has not alwaysbeen the case. This article investigates how the best interest of children in divorce has beenunderstood over time and how this has influenced the legislation developed in close relationto the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Through analyses of historical documents andcontemporary interview material with children and their divorced parents, we examine howdiscussions about children, parents and divorce have influenced the legislation, and howthese understandings – in a contemporary context – encourage parents to a high degreeof cooperation in “the best interest of their child”. However, the best interest of the child isnot a simple and clear matter.