Parenting with PMDD: They Feel Everything!

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The weight of parenting with PMDD extends far beyond our personal struggles—it shapes how our children experience safety, trust, and emotional regulation. Drawing from both personal experience and clinical insights, this powerful episode explores the often unseen impact of PMDD on parent-child relationships and offers compassionate guidance for breaking cycles of trauma.

When we experience PMDD symptoms, our children become emotional sponges, absorbing not just what they see and hear during conflicts, but the energetic shifts that occur during our luteal phase. Even when we believe we're protecting them from our symptoms, they sense the tension—and without proper explanation, they internalize these experiences as somehow being their fault.

What appears as "good behavior" during a parent's luteal phase often masks a child's trauma response. They become hypervigilant, walking on eggshells to avoid triggering your symptoms. This emotional suppression doesn't indicate maturity—it reveals fear. Children sacrifice their own needs to maintain peace, developing coping mechanisms that can follow them into adulthood.

Perhaps most revealing is examining how PMDD affects what we model as "normal" in relationships. If your child came home describing a relationship where their partner treated them the way your relationship functions during PMDD episodes, would you encourage them to stay? Our children learn what to accept in relationships by watching us.

Creating emotional safety despite PMDD requires honest, age-appropriate communication. Rather than gaslighting children by pretending everything is fine when they clearly sense otherwise, acknowledge what's happening. This validation prevents them from developing the belief that they're responsible for managing your emotions—a burden no child should carry.

Ready to transform your approach to parenting with PMDD? Your children's emotional wellbeing depends on it. Reach out for support at inlovewithpmdd.com and begin creating the safe, consistent environment your child deserves.