Faye asks:
How often, when couples decide that they are going to stay together for the kids, does it actually end up working? And does it help or hurt the marriage to decide to try that approach?

Family Therapist William Doherty:
Deciding to stay together for the sake of the kids has gotten a bad rap in the past two decades. Obviously, if there is serious abuse going on, of if the family is a war zone, staying together does not help the kids.
But for most marriages, keeping the kids' needs in mind often gives the couple the time they need to work things out. There is new research evidence indicating that the vast majority of couples do get over even serious marital problems if they hang in there long enough.