My daughter hit me and It made me feel bad 😞
Hey guys, I wanted to ask for some advice because I’ve really been struggling emotionally lately.
My daughter is five years old, and recently it feels like she wants nothing to do with me. I’ve been trying everything I can to reconnect with her, but things seem to be getting worse instead of better.
To give some background, her mother and I have been having a lot of relationship problems. We’re currently in the middle of moving into a new home and have been staying in hotels while waiting for the closing process to finish next week. Even before the move, though, things at home were very tense. During arguments, her mom will sometimes say negative things about me in front of our daughter, such as calling me an idiot or making comments about why she doesn’t talk to me. Over time, I feel like this has affected how my daughter sees me.
Now my daughter doesn’t want me to help get her ready for school, do her hair, play with her, or even take her to the store. She’s become very distant and at times even mean toward me. The other day she hit me in the face, and honestly it hurt me more emotionally than physically.
I’ll admit I haven’t been in the best state of mind either. I was laid off two months ago and I’m only now starting a new job to get back on my feet. Throughout my daughter’s life, I’ve always tried to be a very involved father. I’ve taken her to doctor’s appointments, picked her up from school daily, helped raise her, provided for her, and tried to be there for every important moment I could. I’m not saying any of that as a complaint because I love being her dad more than anything. It’s just hard because with this new job and everything going on financially and emotionally, I haven’t been able to be as present in the same ways recently, and I feel like she’s noticed the change.
Honestly, I’ve just been feeling like a failure lately. Between losing my job, the constant tension at home, and now feeling disconnected from my daughter, I feel emotionally exhausted and all over the place mentally. Sometimes it feels like no matter how much I’ve tried to do as a father, none of it mattered.
I love my daughter deeply, and I hate feeling like our bond is slipping away. I guess I’m asking if anyone else has gone through something similar, and if so, how did you repair the relationship with your child?