Monique ThompsonLicensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor & Infidelity Recovery Specialist

Should you stay for the kids?

1 Dec 2025 · 1 min

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1:01

In this concise monologue, Monique Thompson warns that staying in a relationship solely for the sake of the children can damage both the parent’s and the children’s nervous systems. She explains that stress experienced in childhood leaves at least five identifiable epigenetic markers that parents can pass to the next generation, perpetuating stress‑related health issues. Thompson urges listeners to stop using their kids as an excuse to remain in unhealthy relationships, emphasizing that they can change how they cope with stress—particularly relationship stress, which tops the list. She offers hope by announcing the upcoming “Relationship School” program launching in January, positioning it as a fresh start that can improve the well‑being of the individual, their children, and even future generations.

Chapters

Okay, true story. Sometimes it works out to quote unquote stay for the kids, but most of the time you're damaging your nervous system, the kids' nervous system, and because of what we know now, because of epigenetics, you're also paying forward to the next generation a problem with their nervous system, and you don't want that. There are at least 5 different genetic markers that we pass forward that have to do with the kind of stress we experienced during our childhood. So let's say that you're thinking about moving on and you've been using the kids as an excuse. Cut that out. Cut that out right now. And I want you to have hope instead. Have hope that you can change. You can change how you're coping with stress, and the stress of the relationship is at the top of that list, all right? So I want you to put this on your calendar. In January, I'll be kicking off Relationship School. Come join me. Clean things up. Get a fresh start. There is hope, and the odds are in your favor. A fresh, new, healthy relationship can mean so much to not just you, but to your kids and your kids' kids too. See you soon.