Keeping your kids out of the middle

Shared by Curated by CoreParent

It's so tempting to let a comment slip about the other parent, to use the kids as messengers, or to ask them what's going on at the other house. Especially when you're hurt, it feels almost involuntary.

What I tried

Venting to the kids 'just this once,' quizzing them after handoffs, or sending messages through them ('tell your dad…'). Kids absorb all of it, even when we think we're being subtle.

What worked

What tends to work: make your child's two homes a conflict-free zone, full stop. Vent to an adult, whether a friend, a therapist, or a journal, never to or near the kids. Talk to your co-parent directly, not through your child. When a kid never has to manage the space between their parents, they get to just be a kid, and years later that's the thing they remember you gave them.

#self-care #not-badmouthing #protecting-kids #boundaries

Shared by real parents (or curated by CoreParent), anonymized, and not legal advice. Every situation is different. For your case, talk to a licensed family-law attorney.