Awkwardness is when there's a risk of a perception gap between what you mean and what you appear to mean.

Separating is not divorcing. Please keep that in mind. It is, instead, the second step in seeing if there's a better way to manage your family.

If you take the time to listen to an upset child's story with empathy, and guide the child toward figuring out the root of the problem, then the result is often that the child not only calms down, but also in the future is less likely to get so upset.

When people get more frustrated by their indecision than by the situation that prompted it, clarity often follows.

Almost no one can take on an entire future in one step, much less while reeling emotionally.

For me, the greatest source of frustration was trying to work with a willful child when there was something else I wanted - say, to get the child to go to bed so I could have my own time. Just the promise of the time, and feeling that promise slip away, was enough to introduce a whole other element of stress into the encounter.

I'm sure there are people who can toggle quickly from all-in caregiving to structured socializing, but I can't think of any offhand.