Addressing Parenting Doubts: How Do I Know I'm A Bad Parent and What to Do About It?

Dr. Kirsten Grant
3 min readNov 15, 2023
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

In the bustling world of parenting, where days blur into nights, a question often lingers in our minds, "Am I doing this right?" For Kate, a client in my wellness practice, this question turned into a haunting echo, "Am I a bad parent?"

Kate's week at work had been particularly grueling. Despite being one of the most talented members of her team, her kind nature often saw her saddled with extra tasks, extending her work hours well into what should have been family time. Juggling this with her children's activities, Kate was in a perpetual race against time, culminating in late nights of work after her kids' sports games and classes.

Then came that fateful morning.

The sound of her children’s bickering at breakfast cut through the silence like a knife, and before she could filter her thoughts, Kate found herself screaming, “Why do you all have to fight every morning?”

The words hung heavy in the air, and the house fell into an eerie silence. Her heart sank as she caught the tearful look in her daughter's eyes — a look that mirrored her feelings of shame and inadequacy.

In the quiet aftermath, Kate's mind spiraled into self-criticism.

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Dr. Kirsten Grant

Author, Show Host, Corporate Wellness & Productivity Consultant. Grab my new book "The Secret to Weight Loss Motivation"