How Better Together Helps Us Move Through Parent Guilt as a Team
There are days when parent guilt hits harder than we expect. Maybe it’s the moment we snap because we’re stretched thin. Maybe it’s realizing we’ve been running on empty for so long that the smallest thing sets us off. Or maybe it’s that quiet heaviness, the feeling that we should be doing more, doing better, doing something differently.
We’ve been there. And honestly, we still end up there more often than we admit.
But what we’ve learned in our family of three, us, as two imperfect-but-trying parents and our son Squish, is that guilt feels very different when we don’t carry it alone. When we choose to turn toward each other instead of inward. When we remember that we’re a team, not two individuals silently trying to “hold it all together” in different corners of the house.
That’s exactly what Better Together was built to hold:
A reminder that connection isn’t a luxury, it’s how we get through the hard stuff without losing ourselves.
Why Parent Guilt Hits So Hard (and Why We Don’t Need to Face It Alone)
Parent guilt usually shows up when we care deeply, but our capacity just doesn’t match the moment.
And when we don’t talk about it, guilt grows into stories like:
We’re not doing enough.
Everyone else seems to handle this better.
We should already know how to manage this.
Better Together works against those stories by bringing the focus back to us, our relationship, our communication, our teamwork, our daily rhythms. Not blame. Not perfection. Just the steady habit of turning toward each other instead of away.
Because when we face guilt as a team, the load stops feeling so heavy.
How Better Together Helps Us Move Through Parent Guilt as a Team
1. We name what’s hard, together.
We used to try to read each other’s minds. Spoiler: it never worked.
Now we slow down and say the quiet parts out loud:
“I’m overwhelmed.”
“I’m stretched thin today.”
“I’m carrying guilt about earlier.”
Saying it out loud doesn’t make the guilt disappear, but it makes room for both of us to show up with compassion instead of assumptions.
2. We swap self-blame for shared problem-solving.
Better Together isn’t about perfect communication. It’s about this question:
“How can we make this easier on each other?”
Sometimes that means one of us stepping in for five minutes while the other resets.
Sometimes it means teaming up to simplify a routine.
Sometimes it means laughing so we don’t cry.
But the point is: we’re not fixing each other.
We’re supporting each other.
3. We remind ourselves that repair matters more than perfection.
Every relationship has bumps, especially when parenting is involved.
What we practice now is repair:
A quick hug after a tense moment
A “my bad, that wasn’t fair”
A reset walk
A plan for tomorrow that feels lighter
Better Together holds us accountable not to perfection, but to reconnection.
4. We protect small moments of closeness.
This one felt impossible for years.
We were tired. Busy. Scattered.
But we noticed something:
When we made space for small daily connection, even five minutes, the guilt didn’t pile up the same way.
Little rituals help anchor us:
A morning check-in
Cooking or cleaning shoulder-to-shoulder
A short nighttime conversation after Squish falls asleep
These tiny moments keep us grounded in us.
5. We let other people into our story.
Not to give advice.
Not to judge or be judged.
But to remember we’re not the only ones stumbling through parenthood trying to love our kid and each other well.
Better Together exists because we believe healthy families aren’t built alone, they’re built with shared ideas, shared compassion, and shared experiences.
Every time someone shares what’s helping them, it strengthens all of us.
Our Message Note to You
You’re not the only one figuring things out as you go.
None of us were handed a guidebook for parenting, partnership, or building a home that feels steady. We’re all learning in real time, making mistakes in real time, and growing in real time.
What matters isn’t perfection, it’s the choice to keep showing up for yourself and the people you love.
In our home, we’re learning that small repairs, honest conversations, and tiny daily connections create more change than any big “fix-it” moment ever could. If you’re working toward the same thing, even a little, then you’re already doing something meaningful.
And you don’t have to do any of it alone.
This space is here because families like yours bring it to life.
Every story you share, every idea you offer, every moment you say, “This helped me,” becomes part of something bigger, something that reminds all of us that community is still possible, even in a world that often feels disconnected.
So take what helps, share what you can, and leave the rest.
We’re right here learning alongside you, no pressure, no perfection, just real people trying to build something steady, supportive, and human.
You belong here.
And we’re grateful you showed up today.
We’d Love to Hear From You
If you’re open to sharing, we’d love to know:
What helps you move through parent guilt with your partner or support system?
Whether it’s a tiny ritual, a mindset, a phrase, or something you’ve learned along the way, your insight might be exactly what another parent needs.
Share below if you feel comfortable.
We’re learning from you too.
