How can WAS put themselves before their children?

[antlers]

We spent so long putting everyone else in the family first and we felt like our efforts were taken for granted. We didn't see our spouse or our children thanking us, appreciating us or making an effort to put US first every now and then. We sacrificed sleep, careers, our own interests, our own time and a bajillion and a half of our own preferences.

Other important note: It is highly likely that the WAS *has* been communicating these feelings. Perhaps not clearly, perhaps not in a positive fashion - but if you look, I'll bet they have.

And by and large, they did not feel heard.

So finally the WAS reaches a point where if nobody else is going to put them first or see to their own wants and needs, they're going to do it themselves. In a perfect world, they could do this positively, healthily and within the context of a loving and supportive marriage and family relationship.

Yep. It's a darn shame that things have to get so bad, that our spouses walk away, and our families get broken apart...before we pull our heads out of our rectums and realize these things!