Secret to raising kids

Ok, this is going to be the first of MANY posts on this topic, as it's my life's pursuit.

But I'll start with the big one.

Stay married, or get married.

I read an anonymous question the other day from a women debating divorcing her husband because she wasn't in love anymore.  My initial reaction was ARE YOU DAFT????  HAVE YOU READ THE NEWS AND RESEARCH OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES????  DO YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR KIDS????

Kid's of divorced parents are more likely to:

1) do poorly in school, and then economically

2) think they caused their parents divorce for their entire lives

3) suffer from depression, low self-esteem

4) struggle with relationships throughout adulthood

5) get divorced themselves

Not to mention divorce is ugly.  No matter how congenial you think it might be, the reality will be 10x as painful and as expensive.  I've read countless accounts and studies, all pretty bad for kids, and pretty bad for the couple too.  Before taking that step, you should too. Educate yourself.  Educate yourself more.  And more. Then go have a glass of wine with your spouse.

There are legitimate reasons for getting divorced.  Abuse and a few others.

You made your bed. You had sex in it.  You had children.  You owe it to your children to give them the best possible environment to grow up in, and the starting place for that is having 2 parents.