From Barriers to Breakthroughs The Indian Women Network (IWN) Chandigarh Tricity Chapter, under the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), hosted its Women Leadership Summit 2025 at CII Northern Region headquarters with the theme “Redefining Boundaries: From Barriers to Breakthroughs.” Over 200 women professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders gathered to share journeys, address challenges, and chart paths for inclusive leadership.
Ritika Singh, Chairwoman of IWN Chandigarh Tricity, opened the summit, calling it “a celebration of leadership and a call to action.”
Dr Reetinder Mohan and Mr Taranjeet S Bhamra emphasized building ecosystems where women thrive. Keynote speaker Trisha Rajani Vaidya highlighted the evolution of women in business: “We’re no longer just inheriting legacies— we’re reimagining them.” The day featured powerful panels, including “Beyond the Glass Ceiling” and “Innovating Leadership,” spotlighting women driving change in tech, education, and sustainability.
How to Parent Mindfully Through Marital Distress
When infidelity strikes a marriage, the emotional fallout is seismic. While most of the focus tends to fall on the wounded couple, the children—often silent witnesses—can experience just as much upheaval, if not more.
As a parent coach, I frequently guide families navigating this sensitive terrain, where one or both parents are grappling with profound betrayal while striving to maintain a safe, loving space for their children. This feature offers a grounded, evidence-based guide for parents weathering infidelity, especially when leaving the relationship isn’t immediately possible. It’s about how to hold your child’s hand through the storm, even when your own world feels like it’s falling apart.
The Hidden Cost of Betrayal
Kids are incredibly attuned to emotional undercurrents. Even in homes where conflict isn’t openly discussed, children often pick up on stress, silence, or a sudden change in energy. Developmental psychologists Davies & Cummings (1994) found that chronic exposure to unspoken conflict can lead to anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and behavioral issues. When you’re betrayed, your nervous system goes into survival mode.
Emotional fatigue, irritability, and detachment are natural responses. But when these seep into parenting, they can disrupt connection and consistency. Psychologist Jennifer Freyd’s work on betrayal trauma (1996) shows how such wounds can impair our ability to be emotionally responsive. Children form their understanding of love and safety through their caregivers. When they witness arguments, withdrawal, or sadness, their internal blueprint of relationships can become shaky.
Try this: Offer gentle, age appropriate reassurance. A simple phrase like “There are some hard things happening, but you are safe and loved” can go a long way. Pay attention to behavioral changes—withdrawal, aggression, or unusual quietness—and use these cues to start regular emotional check-ins.
What helps: Create micro moments of self-regulation. Practice breath work, take a five-minute mindful tea break, or journal before engaging with your child. These rituals help you reset and also model emotional awareness for your child.
Protective strategy: Maintain predictable routines —bedtimes, school drop-offs, and meals. Small gestures of affection, attentive listening, and consistent availability reinforce their emotional anchor, helping them feel secure even amid instability.
Not every parent can walk away from a marriage after betrayal. Financial constraints, co-parenting concerns, or hopes of reconciliation often mean staying under one roof. While the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (2010) notes that many couples choose to stay, research by Kelly & Emery (2003) reminds us that children exposed to chronic high-conflict homes may fare worse than those whose parents separate peacefully.
Key focus: If staying, aim to reduce visible conflict and establish household agreements around routines and boundaries. A peaceful co-parenting rhythm—even within the same home—can support a child’s emotional resilience.
Neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Siegel’s concept of mindsight highlights how children learn emotional regulation by attuning to their caregivers. If you’re reactive, overwhelmed, or frequently anxious, your child may absorb those patterns. It can be tempting to vent in front of your child or subtly express hurt through passive remarks. But this creates emotional confusion.
Research by Buehler et al. (1998) found that triangulating children into adult conflict burdens them with stress they aren’t developmentally equipped to handle. No one should have to navigate betrayal alone. Therapy, coaching, or even regular conversations with trusted friends can help you stay emotionally available for your children. A landmark study by Cohen & Wills (1985) found that social support is a strong buffer against emotional burnout.
Children don’t need a flawless parent. What they need is a present one who shows them how to get back up after falling. According to Bandura’s social learning theory (1977), children learn by observing. When you acknowledge your feelings, seek help, and practice self-care, you’re teaching them that pain is survivable and manageable.
Practical tool: Use the STOP technique—Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed. Before reacting, pause. Say something like, “Let’s both take a deep breath and start again.” Repairing moments of rupture matters just as much as preventing them.
Healthy boundary: Keep explanations neutral and short. Avoid blaming the other parent in your child’s presence. They don’t need the details of betrayal—they need stability, love, and assurance that both parents are still there for them.
Action step: Create a support circle—professionals, close friends, or a community group. Choose those who can offer empathy without judgment and keep you focused on your parenting intentions.
Daily tip: Narrate your emotional self-care. Say, “I was really upset earlier, so I took a short walk and now I feel calmer.” These small admissions normalize emotional ups and downs.
This is a powerful opportunity to give your child tools you may not have had growing up. While they don’t need to know everything, you can help them build a vocabulary for feelings. Easy practice: Use a feelings chart or emotion wheel during dinner or bedtime.
Ask, “What feeling visited you today?” Share yours too. It builds emotional vocabulary and strengthens connection. When everything feels emotionally chaotic, structure becomes your child’s safety net. Predictable routines—meals, bedtimes, and weekend rituals—signal that some parts of life remain steady.
Pro tip: Post a visual weekly schedule and involve your child in decisions like meal planning or family activities. Giving them a sense of control in small ways boosts confidence and comfort.
Try asking yourself these three questions at the end of each day: Was I calm and emotionally available for my child today? What triggered me, and how did I respond? What’s one small thing I can do tomorrow to create more peace? Jotting these down—even briefly— can increase self-awareness and help you track your own healing alongside your child’s.
Parenting while processing betrayal is one of the most emotionally demanding tasks you may ever face. But you can provide safety, compassion, and structure for your child—even while healing yourself. Your consistency, presence, and ability to regulate will shape their emotional world more than any single event. You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to show up, again and again—with love, with awareness, and with the willingness to grow through the pain.
“IN THE STORM OF BETRAYAL, YOUR CHILD DOESN’T NEED ANSWERS— THEY NEED YOUR STEADINESS.”
