Break up and bereavement support website HealBee.com experienced a 40 per cent rise in the number of visitors to its site recently and so commissioned a study that found 10 per cent of married couples are only staying together for their children.

Relationships on Female First

Relationships on Female First

The survey results are causing worry for the children’s wellbeing as they may suffer from heartache and guilt as they get older.

A spokesperson for Healbee.com said, “What we are most surprised at is that it would seem that many parents feel compelled to stick together with a disregard for their own happiness, or without fully considering the effect on children growing up in a household where there is animosity.

“Aside from the very real possibility of children blaming themselves for their parents’ unhappiness should they choose to stay together, but then separate when they’re older, these children might also follow their parents’ patterns in their own relationships.”

With the summer holidays having just finished, it’s thought that unhappy couples will fall back into their arguing ways after performing the ‘summer ceasefire’ for six weeks.

The survey revealed that a massive 83 per cent of couples said they made more of an effort with each other when their children were around but sadly only 5 per cent said their issues are now resolved.

Out of those who are staying together and living together for the sake of their children, 72 per cent said they already consider themselves separated.

With regards to ending the relationship for good, one third said they had discussed it with one in four saying that had made a decision to end the relationship but were yet to tell their partners.

A large proportion are putting their own happiness aside in order to shield their children from the truth with 60 per cent of those who are staying together for that reason saying they are going to wait until their child turns 18 before they separate.

One of the main reasons for the wait was to ensure that their children were settled into university so it isn’t so difficult for them.

It seems that waiting it out isn’t always best, as many parents now regret waiting so long. The spokesperson said, “Our research has shown that of those parents who had separated, 75% said that they now regretted staying in their relationship for their children and that nearly 90% of separated parents now admitted that they would have left earlier if they received more support.”