Do you feel stuck in the middle?
Maybe your mum or dad says things about the other one. Maybe you feel like you have to agree, or pick a side, or hide how you feel about one of them so the other one isn’t upset.
That feeling is real, and it’s not yours to fix.
Is it my fault?
No. Grown-ups sometimes have big arguments, and sometimes they bring kids into it without meaning to. Whatever is happening between your parents, it isn’t something you caused, and it isn’t something you’re supposed to fix.
Can I still love both of them?
Yes. Loving one parent doesn’t mean loving the other one less, even if it sometimes feels like you have to choose. You’re allowed to love both, or to have complicated feelings about both, at the same time.
You don’t have to choose goes into this a bit more.
If you need to talk to someone right now
Nummer gegen Kummer, for children and young people: 116 111. It’s free, and they won’t tell your parents you called unless you want them to.
We can’t promise that everything you tell an adult stays secret — sometimes an adult needs to tell someone else to keep you safe. That’s true here too.
Worried someone might see you’ve been here? Cover your tracks.