The guilt of 'breaking up the family'

Shared by Curated by CoreParent

Even when separating was the right call, the guilt can be crushing. There's the sense that you did this to your kids, that you stole the childhood they were supposed to have.

What I tried

Overcompensating with permissiveness or gifts, or sinking into a guilt that makes you anxious and inconsistent with the kids.

What worked

What tends to work: hold onto the fact that kids do better in two calm homes than one tense one, and that what protects them most is low conflict and steady, present parents. Both of those are within your control. Guilt-parenting (no boundaries, endless treats) actually makes kids feel less safe. Forgive yourself enough to be consistent. If the guilt is heavy, a therapist helps more than white-knuckling it.

#self-care #guilt #coping #consistency

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.