Personally, it's because I know that I won't be able to get anyone better. Plus, although the weeks and months are packed full of bad times, there is that good moment every once in a while. I usually end up holding on to that one good moment for dear life, forcing myself to believe that that moment outweighs all the bad ones.

Some of it is also because of my mom. I know she was always disappointed in me because I wasn't very popular in school and never had many boyfriends, so when I do get a boyfriend, she's so overjoyed that I hate to let her down again.

For me, a lot of it is about wanting to seem accepted. Saying the words "I have a boyfriend" doesn't imply that one is in a happy relationship, it just gives the impression that it is a happy relationship. And when one is in a bad relationship, but they can still say "I have a boyfriend", they sound more successful.

As for staying in a marriage for the kids...my parents getting divorced when I was 9 was the BEST thing that could have happened to my family. Life was so much better with my mom and my step-dad, and I still get to see my dad a lot. Don't stay in a bad marriage; kids are smarter than you think, they'll see how unhappy you are. Besides, nowadays kids are considered weird if their parents are still married. Hell, you're lucky if you know who your dad is