DEAR ABBY: My mom and dad are fighting and getting mad at each other a lot. I am trying my best to make them happy with each other, but nothing seems to work. They told me they would always be happy together, but it does not look like it right now. What do I do? -- NEEDING HELP IN FLORIDA
DEAR NEEDING HELP: I have heard from young readers who told me their greatest fear was that their parents would divorce. But sometimes there are worse things than being a child of divorce, and one of them is living in a household filled with tension and parents who constantly argue and fight.
You are not the cause of their unhappiness, and you cannot "fix" what's wrong in their marriage. Although you might wish to be the peacemaker, you must accept that it is not your responsibility. A marriage counselor might be able to help them iron out their differences, but the person to suggest it should be another adult; if possible, it should be a relative.