20 Parents Struggling to Live Away from Their Kids

For quite a long time, I was the only person in my family who’d moved very far away from where we grew up.

It wasn’t always easy, and I know that it probably took a toll on my parents. And that’s with me being a full grown man.

The emotional toll of being apart from your kids as they’re actually growing up? It’s gotta be unbearable. And if these anonymous confessions from real parents are anything to go by, there are no easy answers.

20. “A 17 hour drive.”

The cat’s in the cradle…

19. “She was scared.”

“She’s used to seeing me on Skype nowadays. That’s all.”

18. “A bad mom.”

These things are never easy.

17. “He’s so smart and independent.”

You wanna be there for every second.

16. “I’m scared my kid will forget who I am.”

That’s a dark fear that’s tough to explore.

15. “I did this for her.”

How does one escape a lose/lose situation?

14. “One weekend a month.”

“I feel like I’m fading into the distance.”

13. “I’m not going to lie.”

Worlds and worlds apart.

12. “He holds my past over my head.”

When you put fear in the mix, the belief that someone can change evaporates away.

11. “I wish we would have worked things out.”

The song so many of us have had to sing.

10. 2,000 miles away

That’s a long, long way to go.

9. It’s about the timing

It’s also not their business.

8. The excitement!

Time to visit grandma.

7. Up the chain

Well this is certainly an unexpected reversal.

6. The Summer days

Such a long time to wait.

5. Distance

It makes the heart change in ways, that’s for sure.

4. Flaking out

What if I don’t just take myself down, but her as well?

3. Face time

How do you explain it to them? How to you reach them through that distance?

2. The life

“She deserves everything I never had.”

1. Full time

You can’t help anyone until you can help yourself.

There’s a lot of heartbreak in those words. Here’s to everyone who knows that struggle.

Have you experienced something like this?

Tell us about it in the comments.