Episode 164 Q&A: How to Handle Negative Feelings Towards Your Children

<p>This weeks question is from Neerja,</p> <p><em>“Can you help me with how to handle negative thoughts about my child? I'm getting very frustrated and tired of dealing with his challenges. I often think negatively about him and really hate myself for doing that. Any suggestions as to how to deal with this?”</em></p> <p>In this episode, I will address how to deal with the shame and guilt parents experience when they have negative thoughts about their children. First off, please know you are not alone. Second, the strategies in this episode will help you deal with those feelings better and may even prevent them from happening at all.</p> <p>You can <strong>submit a question</strong> by emailing us at <strong>support@drbeurkens.com</strong> with the subject line <strong>"Podcast Question."</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on...</span></p> <p><a href= "https://www.instagram.com/drnicolebeurkens/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Instagram</span></a></p> <p><a href= "https://www.facebook.com/drnicolebeurkens/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Facebook</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.drbeurkens.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Drbeurkens.com</span></a></p> <p> </p> <h3><strong>Parents Have a Wide Range of Thoughts About their Kids</strong></h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1">It is completely normal to have negative thoughts about your child with regard to things they are doing or the challenges you are dealing with, especially if the child has extra challenges <ul> <li aria-level="2">Difficult behaviors are exhausting and can feel frustrating and unfair</li> <li aria-level="2">You are not a bad or unloving parent for feeling these things sometimes about your child, even if those feelings are really uncomfortable feelings like anger</li> <li aria-level="2">It's real life, and it's much healthier to acknowledge it than it is to try to deny it because the feelings and the things that we are willing to acknowledge become the things that we are able to work with/improve