Why bother getting married when living together is so much easier?

That's what a lot of couples are asking today. It may seem like a good alternative, but the reality is that most couples who cohabit don't stay together for long.

In fact, research shows that they have a 46-per-cent greater chance of breaking up. We could debate the wisdom of living together before marriage. The truth is that marriage holds people together during tough times. People who have made the commitment are much less likely to dump their partner.

Marriage also provides stability for children. When kids know that their parents are married they grow up with a greater sense of security. Marriage not only makes for a healthier couple but also happier children.

The bottom line is: It just makes sense.

Here's one of my biggest worries how am I going to keep my kids from some of the corrupting influences in

our sex-saturated culture? If you're a parent of young kids, I'm sure you worry about the same thing.

It seems you can't turn on the TV today without being assaulted by profanity, violence and sexual images.

Even many so-called "family shows" aren't safe to watch with your kids. And a lot of secular music these days

has reached an all-time low on the morality scale.

So, what is a parent to do? First of all, we need to pay attention. It's naive to think that our kids aren't affected by

what they see and hear. Our first job as parents is to monitor what they're watching and listening to.

Young kids should never be allowed to flip through TV channels or surf the Internet without supervision. And finally, we need to talk to our kids about making wise choices and developing character.