When Mother's or Father's Day Hurts: Coping with Grief During Family Conflict & Estrangement

Woman meditating on a sunny day with a peaceful view of mountains and green trees.

For many people, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are filled with brunches, greeting cards, and warm family memories. But if you’re estranged, low-contact, or no-contact with your parents, these holidays can stir up a deep and complicated kind of grief. You may feel sadness, guilt, anger, or even relief - sometimes all at once. If you’re grieving a distant or broken relationship this season, know this: you are not alone.

1. Your Grief Is Valid—Even If the Relationship Is Complicated

Grieving the loss of a relationship that never became what you needed it to be is deeply painful and that pain often resurfaces around significant cultural moments. Mother's Day and Father's Day can amplify feelings of grief, loss, and longing, especially when we're surrounded by messages celebrating perfect, loving parents. These holidays can serve as painful reminders of the support and connection you didn’t receive, or of relationships you’ve worked hard to repair without success.

You may find that your emotions come in waves. Some years may feel gentler, while others hit unexpectedly hard, often triggered by a commercial, a social media post, or a well-meaning comment. This is normal. Grief around family estrangement or conflict is real, even if others don’t fully understand it.

People who haven’t walked your path may try to minimize your pain or encourage reconciliation, not realizing the depth of what you’ve experienced. They may not see the severity of the hurt or recognize how hard it can be to take care of yourself. Your story is valid, and your choices are worthy of respect, even if others don’t understand them.

Ambivalence and confusion are normal parts of estrangement. You may love your family and miss them, even while knowing that staying distant is what’s healthiest for you. These mixed emotions—grief, guilt, love, anger—are a big part of what makes family estrangement so complicated and painful.

2. Give Yourself Permission to Tune Out of Social Media

During times like these, social media can feel especially painful. It's where people post the best, most curated versions of their lives. That “perfect family” photo doesn’t show the full story, and it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you for not having the same.

Consider taking a break from social media in the days surrounding Mother's Day or Father’s Day. You’re not avoiding your feelings; you’re protecting your peace.

3. Do What Feels Authentic to You

There is no “right” way to spend these holidays. If you don’t feel like celebrating, you don’t have to. If it feels right to send a card or a small gift without engaging further, that’s okay too. Some people create quiet rituals, journal their thoughts, light a candle, or simply let the day pass like any other. Others choose to celebrate found family or caregivers who stepped into those parental roles.

What matters is doing what feels emotionally safe and authentic for you. It’s okay to create your own meaning, or none at all.

4. Spend the Day with People Who Support You

Connection doesn’t have to come from your family of origin. You can spend time with friends, your chosen family, your partner, your kids, or even yourself. You might plan something fun, relaxing, or meaningful, like volunteering for a cause you believe in or starting a new tradition.

Creating new memories can be healing, and it sends a powerful message: you are allowed to choose who and what you give your energy to.

5. It's Okay to Set Boundaries Between Your Family of Origin and Your Own Family

If you're a parent yourself, you might feel caught in the middle, wanting to enjoy the day with your children and partner, but also feeling pressure (or guilt) about not spending it with your own parents. This can be especially tough if your relationship with your family of origin involves conflict, hurt, or unresolved trauma.

You’re allowed to separate your role as a parent from your role as a child. You might choose to celebrate on a different day, or not at all. You can honor your current family’s needs while still holding space for your own feelings and grief.

You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone

Holidays can stir up a lot, especially when your family relationships don’t look like the “ideal” versions celebrated in the media. I specialize in helping individuals and couples heal from family conflict, childhood trauma, and estrangement. 

You deserve compassion, healing, and peace. 

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