[discostu]

I know some folks that were the products of marriages that stayed together "for the children", growing up in a war zone left them with deep emotional scars and serious commitment issues. I think the punchline is that bad marriages are bad for children whether they divorce or not.

[laney]

Exactly, especially where there is physical, emotional sexual, abuse, alcoholism drug abuse,these should never be tolerated in a marraige..

[timsbella]

Thank you for the post. I fully agree coming from one of the aforementioned situations.

I am remarried, my first husband prefering to be away on business more often than not once children entered the picture. Abandonment is another good reason to add to the list. We remain cordial, but my second husband fathers the children and role models in a way that they would have never had the benefit of if I had stayed strickly in the guidelines of marriage forever.

Situations vary. I am not as judgemental as I once was in my younger years with less life experience.

[HungarianGypsy]

My mother-in-law was willing to stay in her marriage for her children. Even though their dad had done some bad things to break up the marriage. Instead they divorced. It was difficult to make a living and there were lean times after the divorce, but I know my husband and his siblings are grateful for all their mother did for them. They learned on their own what kind of guy their dad was on their own. Their mother never bad mouthed him. She would just say, "He's still your father."
I just think divorce shouldn't happen just because someone is "bored" or "not feeling excited about marriage" anymore.

[hinckley buzzard]

I think the punchline is that bad marriages are bad for children whether they divorce or not.

You have illuminated the essence of the problem. Everything else is just detail.

[MEGoody]

I know some folks that were the products of marriages that stayed together "for the children", growing up in a war zone left them with deep emotional scars and serious commitment issues.

It was a 'war zone' because the parents did not make choices that were best for the children or for themselves - instead, they behave selfishly while pretending to do the right thing.

Stay together for the kids, which means treat each other kindly and gently. Gee, they might even rediscover why they married in the first place.