I often feel emotionally shut down or dismissed by my co-parent.

I suppress my feelings to avoid making things worse.

I feel like I’m walking on eggshells when we communicate.

I become defensive or reactive when I feel accused or misunderstood.

I avoid emotional conversations to maintain peace.

I often carry unspoken frustration or resentment.

I sometimes act passive-aggressively rather than directly expressing my feelings.

I feel like my voice or perspective is often dismissed in parenting decisions.

I sometimes give up or disengage to avoid conflict, even when it matters to me.

I feel that parenting dynamics are sometimes used to control or punish me.

I struggle to stay calm and present when my co-parent is emotional or critical.

I’ve withheld information or made parenting decisions without full transparency.

I feel like I’m competing for my child’s attention or approval.

I sometimes question whether I’m seen as a valuable parent.

I didn’t grow up seeing emotionally engaged or expressive male role models.

I was taught to prioritize strength and logic over emotion.

I often feel unsure of how to emotionally connect with my child.

I feel responsible for fixing or controlling situations instead of being emotionally present.

I question my value as a father when I can’t provide or perform.

I sometimes parent in ways I learned from my childhood — even when I want to do things differently.

I fear that I’m unintentionally repeating emotional patterns from my upbringing.

I carry grief over how things turned out between me and my child’s other parent.

I sometimes feel guilt about how the separation has impacted my child.

I feel unresolved pain from the past that I haven’t fully processed.

I want to be more emotionally available, but I don’t always know how.

I feel like I’m parenting with one foot still in the past.

I struggle to separate my emotions about the relationship from my role as a father.

I want to break emotional cycles — but sometimes feel unsure where to start.