How to Protect Your Kids From Your Marriage Crisis
This week on the Grounded Union Podcast, Brandon and Caitlyn speak on one of the most requested topics from their community: what do we tell the kids? They challenge every excuse for waiting to heal, issue a clear warning against the enmeshment trap (your kids are not your counselor or your comfort), and give practical guidance on age-appropriate conversations from toddlers to adult children. The episode closes with the family rhythms Brandon and Caitlyn still live by today: no screens, outside as much as possible, nightly family walks, and gathering around a fire β because protecting your kids from a marriage crisis starts with bringing your whole family back to life.
Our 2026 Grounded Union 2-Day Workshop:
πSan Diego, CA β In-person & virtual
π August 14th & 15th, 2026
Workshop for Couples: Tap here to grab your ticket ποΈ
Looking for immediate support in your marriage?
The Marriage Crisis Roadmap: Download the free guide here!
Grounded Union Couples App: Tap here to apply
Our 2026 Grounded Union 2-Day Workshop:
πSan Diego, CA β In-person & virtual
π August 14th & 15th, 2026
Workshop for Couples: Tap here to grab your ticket ποΈ
Looking for immediate support in your marriage?
The Marriage Crisis Roadmap: Download the free guide here!
Grounded Union Couples App: Tap here to apply
Save Your Marriage Webinar: Tap here to get lifetime access
Follow us on social: @brandontalksmarriage, @caitlyn_doerksen & @groundedunion
YouTube Show available here
What we discussed:
- 00:00:00 β Welcome & Intro: Brandon introduces the episode and opens with a key principle β you don't earn back your family's respect by asking for it; you earn it by changing.
- 00:02:26 β No Convenient Time to Heal: Caitlyn shares why you canβt wait for the perfect season and how healing happens in the middle of real life.
- 00:05:56 β Your Kids Are Not the Problem: Brandon's story of scrolling social media from 10 PM to midnight while waiting for the baby to wake β and why blaming your circumstances keeps you stuck.
- 00:07:47 β The Enmeshment Warning: Brandon explains why turning to your children for emotional comfort or stability during a marriage crisis, even subconsciously, creates a damaging dynamic that repeats across generations.
- 00:08:50 β Tell Everyone But Your Spouse: The story of a man who confessed graphic details to his pastor and why the primary person who deserves your full honesty is your spouse.
- 00:16:00 β Age-Appropriate Conversations: How to talk to kids about the crisis without oversharing graphic details.
- 00:25:06 β Bath Talk Time: Caitlyn shares how her own parents modeled protecting their kids through hard seasons without ever making the children carry it.
- 00:27:55 β Unplug to Plug In: Why plugging into screens for relief will disappoint you every time, and what to plug into instead.
- 00:30:15 β Family Rhythms: Brandon and Caitlyn share the rhythms they've lived by for over a decade β daily family walks in any weather, no TV for 11 years, gathering around a fire or candles, and how nature brings the whole family back to life.
- 00:40:45 β Screens Are Not Babysitters: Why handing kids a tablet is medicating them, what happens to their dopamine within three to four weeks of removal, and the family rhythms that replace it.
- 00:43:00 β What Your Kids Will Remember: How your transformation and new rhythms create lasting stability and trust.
- 00:47:18 β Resources & Final Encouragement: Details on the August San Diego workshop, the Grounded Union couples app, and Brandonβs upcoming book β 7 Steps to Save Your Marriage.