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Ask Amy: ‘Mean’ mom has extreme regrets

Amy Dickinson, Tribune Content Agency on

Dear Amy: I am married with two children – a daughter who is 15 and a younger kiddo who is five.

I am sometimes a mean mom. I am impatient and I yell – often during fights or when my big kid is challenging me or not listening. This results in her crying.

This happens almost daily, and has happened for years.

I am not proud of my actions. I am filled with shame and sadness over the way I have handled things and the emotional damage I have caused.

I worry that this has caused her to be insecure and not as outgoing or happy as she could've been with a nicer mom.

I feel like once she goes to college I will have missed my chance to heal my relationship and help her feel more confident and have better self-esteem.

 

I think if I had not been so mean, she would've blossomed into a more confident young woman.

I also think that she is suffering from depression.

Every time I make her cry, I feel awful.

What should I do?

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