Children can often detect unhappiness among parents and when asked their thoughts on their parents marriage, they often say they wished their parents had parted sooner if they were not happy together. A father can teach as much to their children about love and remaining devoted to their children after, or regardless of, separation as they can about remaining together for the children. To separate and still show the children that you are still there for them in any way or time tells them that the separation had nothing to do with them and can quickly secure their esteem and trust in both parents. The only time a separation or divorce hurts the children is if either parent then uses the marital split as an excuse to not see the children.