Psychological impact

For many families, separation is hard on everyone involved. The kids, both parents and the extended family. This manifests in different way for different people. My bio kids and I are lifers when it comes to therapy. We have spent years benefitting from services. Sometimes as parents we don’t know exactly how to help our kids through tough times. When it comes to split parent homes this is especially true if you haven’t dealt with it before. I see the toll it takes on my husband and my step kids navigating this new path. The exhaustion and fear my husband has is hard to watch and I try to be honest with him about coping skills I’ve learned along the way. I see the little signed in my step kids that they are screaming for help but don’t know what to do or how to ask. In moderation, their behaviors may appear to others as normal. But from past experience, I see the severity it has and the warning signs it poses. I try to be patient and understanding as I have walked this road with my own bio kids and know what it requires to help their fragile minds. The benefits of play therapy are extremely beneficial for young children. It teaches them through play how to find their voices and learn to cope with all of the emotions in their little brains. When my husband and I brought this idea of therapy for my bonus kid’s to their bio mom, it was emediatly rejected and we were told their behaviors were age and stage appropriate on what planet is it normal for a 2 year old to bite themselves, pull their own hair out and scream inconsolable for hours on hand? How is nightly screaming nightmares of someone hurting them normal? In moderation maybe. But daily, no way is that normal. How can you deny your child a chance to be successful and help them be happy when they clearly are screaming for help? One that doesn’t want the parental allienation documented is what I can deduce. I can’t fathom who would think its okay for their young child to harm themselves. As their step mom, I vowed to protect, love and nurture them and I will fight tooth and nail to do so. I will continue to advocate for them and their mental health, even if it’s from home with the skills I’ve learned in my path with my own kids. I can only hope that they will see the love and stability we provide them and will be a guiding