Amen! When parents make children (as opposed to the marriage) the center of their lives, it puts a huge burden on the kids, from childhood through adulthood.
You're both close to the truth. There is a time for everything. When children arrive, the focus of the relationship naturally shifts to them because by their very nature they require the attention. But the parents shouldn't substitute the childrens' lives for their own. Part of child rearing is modeling a healthy marriage. And I agree that parents who are emotional parasites of their children do no one any good.
“Amen! When parents make children (as opposed to the marriage) the center of their lives, it puts a huge burden on the kids, from childhood through adulthood.”
That’s a very interesting insight! You are right, it would place a burden on the kids. Kinda like they have to keep tap-dancing—doing well in sports, getting good grades, giving the parents stuff to brag about—in order to keep the parents occupied and happy.