A Recent Tragedy Has Left My Kids Devastated. But I’m Secretly Pleased.
Key Points:
- A divorced mother shares her conflicted feelings after her ex-husband, who was unfaithful but a devoted father, died in a car crash, expressing relief privately but struggling with how to support their grieving children.
- The advice columnist recommends honesty with the children about their loss while withholding the mother's feelings of relief, emphasizing empathy and prioritizing the children's emotional needs.
- The mother is encouraged to acknowledge her grief over the relationship's end separately from her role as a parent and to focus on comforting her children during their mourning.
- Additional parenting advice is available, including strategies for managing a toddler's mealtime behavior and tantrums, highlighting the importance of consistency and patience.