{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"What About Me","title":"I have moved on, what about my children?","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2029,"description":"Episode DescriptionIn this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode, I respond to a listener question that cuts to the core of parenting after separation: Should a parent ever choose a romantic relationship over their child?Through lived experience, reflection, and emotional honesty, this episode explores the critical distinction between minor children and adult children, the necessity of healthy boundaries, and the often-unspoken damage caused by emotional enmeshment when adult children are placed inside a marriage.This conversation is not about choosing one relationship over another—it is about honoring the appropriate role, responsibility, and hierarchy of each relationship so that no one is harmed in the process.Key Themes & Takeaways1. Children Must Never Compete With a PartnerMinor children require unconditional presence, protection, and priority. Their emotional and developmental needs are non-negotiable. No romantic relationship should ever displace a parent’s responsibility to their minor child.This aligns with decades of attachment research showing that children require consistent emotional availability from caregivers to develop secure attachment (Bowlby, Ainsworth).2. Minor Children vs. Adult Children: A Necessary DistinctionA central message of this episode is that adult children and minor children have fundamentally different needs.Minor children require guidance, structure, and parental prioritization.Adult children deserve love, respect, and continued emotional support—but not authority over a parent’s marriage or life decisions.Family systems theory emphasizes that failure to recalibrate roles as children mature often leads to boundary confusion and relational dysfunction.Referenced Framework:Dr. Murray Bowen – Family Systems TheoryDifferentiation of selfHealthy generational boundaries Avoiding emotional triangles3. Emotional Enmeshment Is Not Healthy ParentingThis episode names a rarely discussed dynamic: when adult children are given...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/Zt7OEsYK72XSCjzvVvn4VpkVRTfhgC5WzB4oxafhHSY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hYjlj/ZDNjZWQyZWE2MmI2/NTUzOWNlNTMxZmI5/ZTZlNC5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}