People in Missouri may often have discussions about how a celebrity or athlete is (or is not) serving as a good role model for kids. Pop culture and public figures may have a certain amount of influence over our children. Antics on the field or on the stage may go viral in today’s electronic world. Kids heartily consume information on the Internet.



While pop stars and professional athletes may be highly visible, commentators say that parents are also role models for kids. When a marriage breaks down, the modeling does not necessarily stop. A relationship coach recently discussed the issue of parenting through an unhappy marriage. She looked at the question of whether parents in an unhappy marriage should stay together for the kids from a different angle than many of these types of stories.

The relationship coach, Nancy Pina, says that parents remain as role models for their kids when a marriage breaks down. Her take is that staying together may send messages to the kids that parents do not want to send. The kids may learn the wrong message from a dysfunctional relationship.

She believes that a parent in an unhappy marriage may suffer personal stress as well, from trying to present a façade for the benefit of the kids.

Deciding to file for divorce can be a difficult decision for anyone to make. Divorce can also be stressful—even in an amicable divorce. When a marriage with minor children breaks down, issues involving child custody and support can be frightening for a parent. A family law attorney may help a parent through the legal process of divorce.

Source: The Huffington Post, “3 Ways Your Unhappy Marriage May Be Hurting Your Kids,” Nancy Pina, March 1, 2014