Why I Keep My Children Out Of Family Drama

“My parents have been divorced since before I can remember.

I’ve actually only ever seen a few pictures in an old album where Mom took a photo of Dad with us kids and vice versa. I just never had it.

Well I want to say that 28 years later, they’re still linked. Whether they like it or not.

They’re linked because I tell them they are and because my children (their grandchildren) are in this world.

And that means living milestones all over again.

Kids are so innocent when it comes to things like family drama.

My boys don’t care which one of them is my ‘real mom.’

They couldn’t care less which one’s my ‘real dad.’

They don’t mind that I call one Mom and one Lisa, or one Dad and the other Glenn; they‘re still just Grandma and Pop.

They couldn’t care less that I grew up with some of my siblings and not with the others; they still call them aunties and uncles.

They don’t have the capacity to understand the complexities of family history and wouldn’t care to know what kind of person anyone might have been 20 years ago.

The things that were said or the family court arrangements that happened.

And they certainly don’t care who’s talking to who and why this person said that. Because they’re just kids.

My kids only really care about one thing…

They just want the people in their life to come and see them.

To play with them and to teach them about the world.

To get excited when they’re around to play, and to have a relationship with them where they see them regularly.

Children grow up so fast that things can change so much in just a fortnight that you can miss an entire chapter by not seeing them.

The thing about family is that there’s always room for growth when there’s kids involved.

And kids really don’t mind what’s gone on before, because they really only care about the future.

And that in itself is an opportunity to move forward again.

Whether it be blood, marriage, situational or plain old just messed up… the people my boys will call family are the people who chose to be in their lives right now.

Family is an effort; not a title.

And these two little boys have enough love for everyone that wants to be a part of it.”

This story was written by Brad Kearns of DaDMum. The article originally appeared on Facebook. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best love stories.

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