Thanks for listening to my call of the day podcast. You can hear my live radio program Monday through Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Sirius XM Triumph 11.

Joanna, welcome to the program. Yes, hi there, Dr. Laura. Hi. I wrote out what I wanted to say. Is it okay if I read it to you or do you want me to just wing it?

You do what you think will make it the most clear.

Okay, perfect. So I will read it out.

Okay.

Okay. I've been wanting to make this phone call for a few years now, but I keep putting it off.

God, you're patient.

I feel lately like I can't continue with the way things are. And I need your advice before I make a

life-altering decision for my family. It's regarding my marriage. I am committed to staying in it for the kids, but I don't know if I'm actually doing the right thing.

I want to know if staying is the best thing for the kids or if I'm doing more damage to them by keeping them in this environment.

Well, you'll have to describe the environment because you do understand if they're minor kids and you divorce, likely the kids will be back and forth so they will still be experiencing some part of the environment.

Plus, you and or he will fool around with other people that brings more chaos to the kids' lives.

They don't have a place, and they've got two parents who don't like each other,

and they have different rules in each place, so they get confused and they get combative,

usually against the mother.

So when I, and there's more that I could go on to, what I'm, please, let me just say that.

So you have to convince me that the current environment is worse than that.

Okay.

So this is the situation.

I'm 42, my husband's 50. We've been married for 12 years, first marriage for both of us. We have three kids, girl, boy girl, and they're 11, 9, and 7. I must say a mom.

Well, things couldn't have been so bad. You were having sex with them.

This is true. This is all true. So I'm usually home with the kids. I work during the day when they're at

...