Should a couple who do not love each other anymore stay together for the sake of their children?

As long as they don't hate each other's guts, or fight all the time, it's better for the children if they stay together. At least until the children are old enough, say 15 or 16.

The best home for a child is with both biological parents. It is a sacrafice for them.
I am not saying that there aren't circumstances where its unsafe and should not be attempted.

The lasting harm you can do a child by being with someone you dislike or outright hate outweighs the "not being from a broken home" mental scarring. You're going to hurt them either way if you don't handle things right.

Absolutely! When kids live in an atmosphere of hatred, argument and drama, it scars them for life. Better they should live with a happy parent in one place and a happy parent in another place than end up spending 2/3 of their adult income on a shrink.

Their unhappiness will soon rub off on their kids. It's a better atmosphere if the parents separate, yet keep close relationship as to share custody of the kid(s) this will be better and more healthier for the kids and make them much happier in a stress free environment.

My mom loved my dad and my dad didn't love my mom. It was miserable.

no if the parents are miserable then the kids are

You are only putting your children through hell at that point. Children are not stupid, they know what's going on and they can feel the lack of love between mother and father. Get out, move forward and be positive....I do think that the parents should always remain friendly with each other for the children and NEVER...EVER....use the children as a weapon.

It is harder on the children in long run. Even more so if they remembered mom and dad once being happy and being close to each other and then they are yelling and not being nice to each other at all.

They'll make themselves and their kids miserable, wouldn't they?

I would think so! :)

Because a house that has no love and staying together because of the kids is no excuse to stay. I grew up in a house like that and take it from me the kids suffer from living like that if two people don't love each other than leaving is best for all parties including the kids

Not for the sake of the children, for the sake of eachother. there are soo many ways to get back to the way "it used to be" If you have tried everything and still want to call it quits then fine. If you honestly dont even want to try, then there is no point, but there was a reason that you married or had children with this person.
After talking with eachother ask and decide if your relationship means/meant enough to you both to try a few things, before throwing in the towel.
A few of the things that saved my relationship/marriage were reading The Five Love Languages together, The Five Languages of Appology, and a trial/test if you will - the Love Dare.
im not a quitter and thank God niether is my husband and things were not only restored between us but we learned how to avoid letting things get that bad again.

The children will already know you don't love each other anymore and some will blame themselves. You're not doing them any favors. What you can do for them is keep the negative comments and fighting to yourselves and try to get along for their sake after the split. Be amicable and don't criticize the other parent, share custody openly and without the pitiful nasty little things other parents say and do. Do not criticize the other parents next love, either. You are only hurting the children involved.

yeh

It's not supposed to be fairy tales and unicorns all the time. A real relationship takes work.

It wouldn't be a healthy environment for their children if the parents are unhappy.

Children are better off living with one happy parent than with two unhappy ones.

Don

It really all depends. If there's a lot of conflict or one partner is really miserable, it's better for everyone to divorce. But a lot of people split when some real effort to get along better might work better.

I think so. But then i grew up without knowing my father, and with a step father who left as well.

Just seems awfully selfish to bring children into the world, then not stick it out to make sure they're raised right because you suddenly decide "till death do us part" wasn't for realsies.

Leaving is the easy route. Sticking in there and putting on a happy face is what a real man does. It also helps if the Chick can keep the snakes in her head in check as well.

My Grandfather had the world's biggest nag of a wife, and 6 kids. He raised them all, kept grandma in check, and quietly died of cancer when his kids were adults, like a boss.

it's selfish.

In order to be a good parent the parents need to be happy too.

Any couple who stays together for the sake of their children are emotionally abusing their children and should have their children taken away from them for their protection.

thats a very harsh view but i dont entirely disagree with you on that

I rave your comment ten thousand times.

I used to think yes but I have changed my mind over the years. Not too many people can pull that off successfully, so it ends up creating a toxic environment.

I think it could psychologically damage the children a lot more than separation or divorce... kids aren't dumb, they'll pick up on the tensions.

Yeah, I agree with that.

worse than that they learn from it and it becomes part of who they are and how they beleive people should behave

That's why I never had children. It sucks, but it was the only way.

If the parents are fighting all the time it's not good for the children and they should separate. If there is no animosity between the parents, maybe they could stay together for a while anyway until they can get the children adjusted to the idea of one of them living in a separate place. Whatever happens it won't be easy.

Yes. They should work on their marriage. Marriage is for a lifetime. Of course, if there's violence in the relationship, they might need to part for awhile, but they don't need to get divorced.

im sorry but marriage is a signed contract between 2 parties and like in busness you sign that contract without any forsite into the future and if you truely believe that 2 people who cant stand to be in the same room as each other must stay together because they signed a contract then that is quite misguided because violence is not the only way to scar someone for life and there is no way in hell i would make any child at any age have to deal with that just because i signed my name on something before they were even born

Then the best idea is don't get married. Marriage is for life.

why is marriage for life? I signed a contract for my car stating that i would look after it and it would get me where I needed to go (I am not comparing women to a car) but after 11 years it was giving me all sorts of problems and i was getting angry with it and would stop going to to point that i hated it so i sent it away and both of our trouble were solved and i signed another contract and got another car. i fail to see the difference

Marriage is not like buying a car. I can't believe you compared a marriage contract to a car contract. Marriage is a life long commitment between two people. If you ask me, most people get married without thinking about the seriousness of what they're doing.

why do people need to get married to have commitment for life two people could live for 100 years have kids grand kids great grand kids and died in each others arm without ever getting married are you saying that they are less commited than those those that sign a bit of paper?

Nope. If you're going to have sex, have children and share financial burdens, you should get married. That's usually normal. Marriage ceremonies go back so far we can't even count the millenniums.

so if have this correct your saying that because some unknown person thousands of years ago decided that if 2 people wanted to be together they organised a little gathering so every man in the village then knew that a particular woman was available the man then put a ring on her finger to prove that she belonged to him kind of like a dog registration tag that those two have to be together until they die? I bet the big difference was that in those days if the could no longer stand the sight of each other one of them probably ended up wearing a giant rock for a hat but at the end of the day just because thats how it started doesnt mean thats how it is now. King Henry the 8th invented divorce because he was bumping women off left right and centre do really think he was the first. Divorce is a safety net for both parties just in case they get to the point of til death do us part earlier than expected