Would you carry on a relationship if you knew you didn't lov

Well, it wouldn't be for me, but each to their own. Is your friend very unhappy with the situation? If it makes them miserable then surely they should leave, but that's their decision alone.

Could I do it? not sure

Do I admire people that make those sorts of sacrifices for their children? yes, definitely

As long as they're honest in the relationship then noone is lying to anyone. I do wonder what it's teaching the child though - it's certainly not showing the child what a loving relationship is like.

heck no! They're teaching the child to be miserable in relationships. If a child grows up seeing that it's okay to hit your significant other or that you should stay with someone you aren't entirely happy with, then that's what they will view as "the norm". Mom & Dad need to find someone each truly loves and show that it's okay if it doesn't work out with you and someone as long as you're happy.

It may be hard on the son, but i would leave. You would just have to convice the boy everything would be ok and he still gets to see his daddy and mummy all he wants. Try to make it as easy as possible like.

The only problem with staying is it would get worse and be harder later in life, the son could get a complex by them sticking together just for him.

Personally i wouldn't.

I was in a long relationship and it was hard to break up but we were like that...friends and nothing more. Fair enough we didn't have a child.

As long as they are both active in their child's life, it would probably be more beneficial to be apart. Sometimes children feel the tension. Lots of parents are not together so it wouldn't be unusual.

Besides which, why live a life that makes you unhappy?

P.S. Cute profile pic, lol

Thanks for this post as I too have been doing this for the last 3 years...This is not an Easy situation . I feel for your friend.

I couldn't do it, a friend of mine did it for his kids, they even had different areas of the house marked out of bounds. He totally regrets having done this to his children and also to himself. It took a lot of years to get over the whole thing.
In an odd way I was sort of lucky my ex was abusive, so the kids and I left.
I really hope the son comes out of this whole experience okay, I am a little afraid how this may be hurting him.

This post hit me hard as I recently ended a 15 year relationship of convenience. While my children were not biologically his, he was the only father they knew. He came into our lives when they were only 2 weeks old and 2 years old. I spent many years contemplating separation as I knew I wasn't in love with him but I didn't want to hurt my children by leaving their "father". I finally realized that I was only hurting my children by subjecting them to a loveless relationship. Children will seek out relationships they are subjected to. Had I stayed, they would have thought a normal relationship would consist of never laughing with your partner, never spending time together, never making love, living as strangers under one roof. I thought to myself... "Do I want my girls to settle or do I want them to live happily ever after?" 5 hours later, we had the "separation talk" and he moved out 1 week later.

I am now happily married to my first boyfriend, first kiss, first true love. We hold hands, we kiss, we spend every single free moment together as a family and I am convinced that I have finally found what real love is supposed to feel like. My children? They couldn't be happier. They are now both in very healthy relationships themselves and as I watch their affectionate behavior toward their boyfriends, it makes me feel as though my decision was the right one, the necessary one.

Best of luck to your friend. I hope it all works out for them.

Awesome !!!!!!!!!!

I was in love with someone just out of highschool, we were going to be together for ever but the Navy took him away and the Army took me away and we never found eachother again. Later, I married someone else. I was friends with this person and cared deeply for him but not in love, I now know being so young at the time this was a rebound reaction as I had really wanted to be married to my sailor. I knew from day one I wasnt happy even on my wedding day and night and I had called crying wanting to come home but my family said no stick it out love grows. I stayed in an unhappy loveless marriage for 24 yrs, only because when I tried to leave I found out I was pregnant and well we both stayed for our daughters sake. In hindsite I should of ran out of that church on my wedding day and withstood the condemnation of everyone there rather then endure living through the last 24 yrs of hell. I know now the man that I had once loved is happily married and wouldnt ever be mine unless fate has different plans for us and decided to be kind and let us be together again as I know he still deeply cares for me. But if your friend is doing this too , to be a good father, then he is doing this girl a disservice, set her free to find her soulmate, if he obviously believes she is not the one for him, then she must have a true love out there as well. Kids will grow and be fine, both of them seem like good parents who love their son and so that wont end just because they are not the so called perfect idea of what family is supose to be.