I-hate-my-son Online

Constant battles over bedtime, chores, or school can wear down even the most patient caregiver.

As noted on the Play Therapy Parenting Podcast , many parents feel this way simply because they weren't given the tools or support needed to handle high-needs children. Breaking the Cycle

The first step toward healing is radical honesty. You cannot fix a relationship if you are still pretending the fracture doesn't exist. i-hate-my-son

You are not alone in this struggle. Admitting you're struggling to "like" your son is the first step toward finding a path back to a relationship where love—and eventually, like—can flourish again.

If you are feeling this, you likely feel like a monster. You look at other parents on social media who seem to bask in the glow of every milestone and you wonder what is broken inside of you. But the truth is more nuanced: feeling "hate" or intense resentment toward your son doesn’t mean you aren't a good parent. It often means you are an overwhelmed one. Constant battles over bedtime, chores, or school can

You can hate the constant screaming, the lying, or the disrespect without hating the human being behind it.

Resentment rarely appears in a vacuum. It is usually the result of a "perfect storm" of factors: You cannot fix a relationship if you are

Sometimes we see our own worst traits reflected in our children, which triggers a defensive, negative reaction.