I can’t leave. What about the children?

“I can’t leave. What about the children?”
And I always answer: What about you?

I’ve lost count of the men and women who told me they wanted to separate or divorce but stayed for the kids. And I’ve also worked with those very kids—now adults—who grew up in homes where parents never divorced, yet filled the house with passive-aggression, emotional abuse, cheating, resentment, endless complaints.

And guess who felt everything? The children.

You don’t stay because of your children—you stay because of you. Stop hiding behind them. They are not responsible for your marriage or your relationship. That burden is far too heavy.

Children just want to be children. Yes, divorce can be painful. But trust me—what hurts even more is growing up witnessing a loveless, hopeless marriage and calling it “family.”

With love,
Marine Sélénée