Yes, yes, yes!
There is absolutely a true benefit in staying together as a couple for the sake of the kids.
Me and my wife are up for adoption next year (we hope), and we've vowed to stay together no matter what. An adopted child requires a stable home. It (he/she) has been displaced a number of times in its first year, and is in desperate need of stability.
Breaking up a family when having an adopted child is the most selfish thing to do, and will damage the last bit of trust an adopted child has left (or has slowly built up).

To a lesser extent, this also applies to biological children. When you start a family, you KNOW you are taking up an 18-year (or longer) commitment. That's no small deal. And unless there are exceptional circumstances (like physical abuse), both parties should 'stick with it' and make the best of those years.

I know this is not the most progressive answer, and I am not answering this way because of some deeply religious thought (I'm not religious). I am purely answering this from the perspective of the child.

If they can be civil, then it's better for the kids.

I knew a couple who separated but they bought a duplex and knocked out the wall separating the two halves in the basement, which became a common area for the kids.

Each of them lived upstairs in their own half of the duplex, and the kids could go back and forth.

It was a lot easier for them to have their own lives, because they could tell the kids to go eat with the other parent if they were going out, or if they were going to be late, etc. And the kids grew up real good.

When the kids were gone, they sold the duplex, and the new owner turned it into three apartments.

So there's ways to do it.

It depends on the relationship the parents have. If there is constant fighting and they hate each other, children will figure this out and it not only is stressful for them, they grow up thinking that that's how a relationship is between married people.

I have heard of couples that have said their children were glad when they finally split up, I would guess because they didn't have to go through watching their parents being in unhappy, unloving relationships. Although a lot of the time, if a couple doesn't get along while they're married, they continue to fight even afterwards. But at least they're in positions to go on and possibly find a relationship that they are happy in, which benefits the children as well.

When there are children involved ,yes, I would think most of us will stay with our spouse, for their sake. It is the hardest thing for a parent to experience putting their own children to suffer the broken family situation, which most of the time a parent does not stay. And most devastating experience for the children when this happens, the effects to the children are numerous, mostly negative ones.

We acknowlege that there are very civil relationships between separated parents, luckily for the kids if that situation happens, but even in this situations we cannot be a 100% sure that the kids are just alright with it. Of course, the children wishes their parents are together for their sake, but when nothing can be done to the parents relationship, in my opinion children will understand the separation if what they can see in their everyday lives are fighting, unhappy parents. It won't be easy for the children, there are always disadvantages and negative effects on them more than the positive ones.

There is a positive scenario in all these, if ever one stays. Children is important to our lives, they are our pride ,our joy, our future whatever you may call it. It is only up to the parent to make use of the situation and make it better for the whole family, but there are always exceptions, one must list all the pros and cons of one's actions and the circumstances that one has to make decisions on this 'huge' dilemna.

No, no, no. As someone whose parents stayed together "for the sake of the children," I think that these types of situations are more harmful than people realize, or perhaps want to realize. I knew from a young age that my parents were not really in love, that they both would prefer to not be together, that my brother and I were the only glue holding them together. It was awful. I used to wish that they would get divorced, because they were both so obviously unhappy, much as they tried not to be, much as they tried to be civil to each other. Moreover, it made me feel guilty - after all, if it wasn't for my brother and I, they both could have simply moved on.

Staying in an unhappy situation, whether it be a job, a marriage or anything else for the sake of anything external to you simply sets the stage for resentment and misery on your part, and no matter how well you think you might be hiding it, those feelings spill out onto those around you. If you do what is right for you, that will end up being what is right for your kids.

yes
loving the fam.
you can just love

Never. I got out of my third marrage leaving at the time a 3yr old son and a 7 year old daughter. Every moment available i made arrangements to be with them. A loveless marrage does no good for the children. Children are very understanding. It will take a team effort to continue to raise them. You will find that as they get older and move on you will still be in their life and in all the while your life will go on.meeting people and going places.

No, I would not stay in a marriage just for the children. A marriage to me needs affection and love so not showing this to your children can be more damaging than you can image.
Besides a marraige should include security to children so if your marriage has become broken down showing a sense of securtiy might not be there.
I would say the best thing that you could do is try to stay at least friends with your spouse and the children will understand and rescpect you both more.

Love and Security
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davegkelly/289107727/

Children should be taken as the first reason for staying in a hateful relationship.But if you are not happy with your spouse,it'll affect the entire family as a whole.You cannot live with someone by force or for a reason.I think children do get the idea that there parents are not hapy with each other even if you dont tell them.If they are big enough to understand...I think you should talk to them and make them understand before walking out of this relationship so that they feel comfortable with ur assured words...

This is a hard question. Yes, if the relationship can be salvaged. No, if the relationship is hurting the children.

Children can feel the energy in any given enviroment, so I think that depending on your own relationship, no. If you two are at a point where you do not get along, and are unahppy mroe then you are happy together, then you should not keep that unhappy relationship centered around your children. They can hear fights behind closed doors, feel the cold shift when you two walk into a room together, see the strain in conversations when around them, and thats no way to live. They should benefit from the joy of their parents being friends, and enjoying raising their children together, sepretly instead of worring more bout just getting through the day in a bad marriage.