Thoreau begins Civil Disobedience by saying that he agrees with the motto, "That government is best which governs least." Indeed, he says, men will someday be able to have a government that does not govern at all. As it is, government rarely proves useful or efficient.
Children who are witnesses of their parents being divorced may not develop well emotionally. A divorce may affect their attachment towards their maternal and paternal figure. They also won't have the idea of how relationships work.
When it comes to school aged children they will only be raised by one parent at a time. The help that will be provided and the observations made might have an effect on the development of a child's traits or habits.
Teenagers are at the age where they're highly developed and understand the idea of marriage, relationships etc. better than children. They're more likely to accept the fact that their parents will separate and are able to understand and analyse the reasons behind their actions.
I hope I helped :)
