Is it normal to be jealous of your kids?
Yes, it can be normal to feel jealous of your kids sometimes—of the attention they get, their freedom, or the opportunities they have. The feeling doesn’t make you a bad parent; what matters is how you handle it.
Parenting can bring up surprising feelings. You might envy how much attention your kids get, miss the freedom you had before, or feel a pang when they have chances you didn’t. Plenty of parents experience something like this, even if they don’t say it out loud.
Try to treat the jealousy as information about what you might be missing—rest, appreciation, time for yourself—rather than something your child has done wrong. You don’t need to confess every passing feeling to them, and it’s important not to make them responsible for soothing it.
If the jealousy is turning into ongoing resentment or affecting how you treat your kids, talking it through with someone you trust or a counselor can help.