EP 21: I Love My Kids… But I Don’t Love Being a Parent
About this episode
Kier Gaines discusses the complexities of loving children while struggling with the challenges of parenthood.
You can love your kids with everything in you and still not love being a parent all the time. The pickups. The drop-offs. The schedules. The sleepless nights. The endless questions. The responsibility of being needed every single day. Parenthood can be one of the most meaningful parts of your life while also being exhausting, overwhelming, and completely different from what you imagined. In this episode, Kier gets honest about his complicated relationship with fatherhood and why parents need permission to hold two truths at once: I love my children, and sometimes I don't like the job of parenting. He explores why fathers often feel guilty admitting they need something outside of their families and how easily sacrifice can quietly turn into self-erasure. Kier also reflects on watching his own mother pour everything into being a parent while neglecting herself and how that experience shaped the father he wants to become. He breaks down the difference between being a good father and being a whole father , and shares practical ways he protects the parts of himself that existed before he became "Dad." If you've ever felt guilty for needing a break, missed the person you were before…
More episodes of Learned the Hard Way with Kier Gaines
- EP 24: Are You Asking Your Partner to Be Your Peace?
- EP 23: Your Job Is Not Your Identity ft. Jason Rosario
- EP 22: Who Told You You’re Behind?
- EP 20: Why Men Are Afraid to Say “I Don’t Know” ft. Dr. Dakotah Tyler
- EP 19: You Can't Fix People You Love
- EP 18: Money Won't Make You Feel Safe ft Tiffany Aliche (The Budgetnista)
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