What happens when parents sacrifice happiness for the illusion of stability? Kristy Dyer joins Michelle to reflect on her experience growing up in a high-conflict household, and how that shaped her decision to leave a marriage that mirrored those same emotional patterns. Together, they explore how generational healing begins with honest parenting, and why children need emotionally safe environments more than they need traditional structures. What You’ll Learn • The unintended harm of “staying for the kids” • How emotional labor and perfectionism show up in parenting • Why transparency and repair matter more than perfection • Tools for raising emotionally safe children after separation • The importance of healing generational trauma through co-parenting Episode Highlights 03:02 – Kristy’s childhood: blended family, absent father 07:40 – The burden of perfectionism and emotional labor 12:15 – Repeating childhood patterns in adult relationships 15:50 – Reframing “starter marriages” and shame 22:12 – Building trust through repair after separation Meet Kristy Dyer Kristy is a co-parenting mom of three raising her children with honesty, healing, and courage. Her journey of breaking generational cycles offers insight for parents navigating divorce and reparenting themselves in the process. Final Thought “Your kids don’t need you to stay. They need you to heal.” Want to learn more? Explore Michelle's courses on kids & divorce: How to Talk to Kids About Divorce Building Resilience: Helping Children to Adapt and Thrive After Divorce Keep In Touch: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Website Facebook TikTok LinkedIn Read the full transcript Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices