It's too important for kids to see a healthy adult relationship, to stay together for their sake. Seeing the horrible relationship their parents have doesn't prepare them for a healthy life of their own.

Try and sort it out for the sake of the children but do NOT stay together for their sake if it's going to get abusive

I have heard of parents doing this for the children. The sad thing is the children suffer from it as they see that their parents are not happy.

Originally Posted by mikey

Try and sort it out for the sake of the children but do NOT stay together for their sake if it's going to get abusive

That's actually great advice, I think. Try to improve your relationship for the children, but don't stay somewhere hate-filled or abusive.

Don't do it. Be in the children's lives but don't assume that they are idiots and don't know what's going on in your personal lives.

It makes it harder for the kids. My DH was one of those kids, he was actually happy when his parents "finally" decided to split after many years of being so unhappy.

If you have exhausted all possiblities of reaching a place where you both can be happy and still find it hard to get along bringing tension to the household, then seperation is the best option. I have a very strong belief in marriage and if I ever found myself in this situation I would try to find a fix first not only for the children but for us. Of course, there is a point when you have to stop "beating a dead dog with a stick" as they say and do what is emotionally healthiest for everyone.

From everything I've heard, it's NOT better for the parents to stay together. Not only does it continue the strife in the family, the children can easily see that their parents don't like each other and don't want to be together. I do believe, however, that if it is worked on, a family and marriage can be restored.

Originally Posted by Cymru Am Byth

I do not know how you people feel about this but from my experience my parents stayed together for us four children. Now as an adult I look back and think what a miserable excistance they must have had. All I remember of my early days is my parents arguing about one thing or another. My father is no longer with us and my mother is as free as a bird. What do you think?

i can understand what you are feeling at the moment. and i am really sorry for this but you know what ? life is not that easy as we think. life is like living for others. i am damn sure that they dont have such deep problems. see, if they can live together for the sake of children then i think they even have love for eachother.

yes some problems might be there, but solving in a right way is missing. and i think now its your turn to decrease the misunderstandings between your parents.

There is no benefit to staying together for the sake of children. Even if fighting or arguing is not done in front of them, they pick up on things. Children are very receptive to things and will know if their parents are not happy. Give them the benefit of two happy parents that do not live together instead of a housefull of unhappiness.