My Five-Year-Old Said He Likes Watching Mom and Dad Hug. It Stopped Me Cold.

During a Valentine's Day bedtime routine, Robbie's five-year-old said one of the things he appreciates most is that mom and dad like each other. That they hug and kiss. That they show affection. It was a small moment that turned into a bigger thought — about what kids actually feel when they see their parents genuinely connected, and what they feel when they don't.This isn't a lovey-dovey episode. It's a real conversation about what it means to keep your marriage visible to your kids — not perfectly, not performatively, but consistently — and why that visibility is one of the most important things you can give them.Topics covered: why kids experience parental affection as physical safety, what happens to kids' nervous systems when mom and dad are in conflict, why Robbie grew up in a house where affection wasn't visible and what he's doing differently, the masculinity angle — you can be a strong protector and still show your wife love in front of your kids, and why "keep the wolves away" means more than just physical protection.Send a message about the episode! Support the showhttps://linktr.ee/unhingedfather