Affairs have never been a new kid on the block. Affairs and all other types of non-marital bliss have been heating up the kitchen since the beginning of time. However it seems now more than ever marital discord is a nice media explosive. Sex scandals hit the airwaves and usually we don’t think much about the children that are involved in all of the madness.

There was the senator and his wife that announced their marital strife in the media just after he was sworn into office after another flawed person had been kicked out. His wife said that they handled it through counseling and telling their children that marriages have their peaks and valley’s.

Then there was Hulk Hogan’s family that suffered a divorce partly due to his affair with his daughter Brooke’s same aged friend. Brooke responded by writing in her blog, first feeling betrayed by her father to eventually realizing that forgiveness was key to her happiness.

Then last but not least, there is Chelsea Clinton who was recently put on the spot in front of a college campus while campaigning for her life giver. She was caught off guard and replied by saying that it was none of the persons (or country’s I suppose) business.

So the question is, how do we explain adultery or other marital strife to our children? Is there an appropriate way or age? Or more importantly do we respond to them by saying just as Chelsea responded, it’s none of your business?

Too often children (whether adult or not) take sides in marriages. They relive events told by one or the other parent that paint a villain, victim and hero picture. It divides and destructs. The job of parents is to protect, nurture and not let our emotions get the best of us even when something is less than perfect, not going our way or we simply don’t understand it. Our job as their greatest teacher is to teach them how to deal with and solve conflict and strife, not dump it on their lap.

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