What to Do

The first thing to do is to recognize and accept these feelings within yourself. With understanding comes power. With acceptance comes the motivation and ability to change. That's not to say that we should go overboard and agree to a game of Mall Madness every time our child wants to play. Or that we watch Full House re-runs every night for five years when we'd rather be watching an occasional football game.

Yet we do want to connect with our child in ways that make the parent/child relationship strong. And as most who read this might guess, it isn't always an easy thing to do, given the points raised earlier in this article.

Now that you've allowed yourself to begin to acknowledge and accept the guilt, it's time to let go of it. Because holding on to it and not taking appropriate action is not healthy for you or your child. After all, if you didn't feel the guilt, you wouldn't know- somewhere in your heart- that something was amiss; that something needed to change. Nor would you know how to make changes; changes that will improve your relationships and help alleviate the darkness that has been lurking within for many years. Perhaps it's time now to stop the cycle of guilt and make changes so you and your child can be happier together.

Whether your child is five or 15, it's not too late to enjoy time with your child without falling asleep at the wheel. For ideas on how to connect with your child, read my article on 12 Boredom Blasting Tips for Parents.