Should parents stay married for the sake of their children? On this episode of the Happiness Hour, Dennis Prager takes on a sensitive and often misunderstood subject: the effects of divorce on children. Challenging the conventional wisdom that divorce inevitably leads to lasting unhappiness, Dennis argues that the reality is more complicated than many people believe.

Dennis discusses research on children of divorced parents and questions whether these studies adequately account for the circumstances children would have experienced if their parents had stayed together. He emphasizes that while a happy, loving, intact family is the ideal, remaining in an unhappy marriage is not always the best choice for children.

Taking calls from listeners with different experiences, Dennis explores what happens when divorced parents maintain a cooperative relationship, why a parent’s continued involvement in a child’s life matters, and how speaking negatively about an ex-spouse can cause lasting harm. He also discusses the importance of helping children face difficult realities without making them feel doomed by their family circumstances.

Can children thrive after divorce? Is staying together always better than separating? And how can parents protect their children’s happiness when a marriage ends? Dennis offers his perspective in a thoughtful, sometimes contentious discussion about marriage, divorce, parenting, and the dangers of believing that difficult circumstances must determine our future.