Lately, I’ve had several heartfelt and brutally honest conversations with friends and readers that have struck a deep chord. Through them all, one thing remains clear: as parents, we love our children profoundly and unconditionally with our whole hearts, and we want to give them the very best. Sadly, even with all we strive to do and be, there is one question that continues to arise which fills us with dread: when we, as a couple, are no longer happy, should we stay together for the sake of our kids?
Clearly, it’s a complicated question, one that many have examined over and over. It’s one that I spent a great deal of time pondering, myself, many years ago.
There are those who would say that we, as parents, should forgo our own happiness for the sake of our kids. It’s our job to provide for them and to put their needs first, and our own happiness should come second. As long as we can get along well enough, as a couple, to maintain a stable and seemingly happy home, then that is what we should do.
In this respect, I suppose it comes down to what we define as a happy home, and what we believe we should provide for our children when we say we want to give them the best.