It really is a shame. In my age range I only know one married couple that considers themselves to be in a good/happy relationship. If I expand the age range to include people in their late 40s, I can think of a few but all of them have been divorced and remarried. Of course this only pertains to couples I know so the group I'm pulling from is extremely limited, but still. If you're unhappy in your relationship and have children, they will suffer no matter what path you take. Either way (stay or leave), I think most would benefit from some sort of counseling. At a minimum it provides additional tools for coping and helping the children live lives free of any chance they may feel they are somehow responsible.