Stepmom jealousy?

I hear you, and what you're going through is incredibly common yet rarely discussed. It's not easy having toxic parents — the patterns get deeply ingrained, and it can feel like an uphill battle to break the cycle. But I'm glad you recognize the issue and want to do things differently for your own kids. The root cause here is something the guide calls the "Scapegoat" dynamic. Essentially, toxic parents project all their issues onto one child, making that child the target of their abuse and negativity. This warps your sense of self-worth and trains you to repeat those damaging patterns. Even with the best intentions, you can end up treating your own kids the same way. The first step is to get clear on your "Breaking Point" — the specific behaviors or situations that trigger those toxic reactions in you. The guide outlines a simple system for doing this. Once you identify your triggers, you can start to build the "Boundary Protocol" to interrupt those patterns. This might mean removing yourself from charged situations, setting firm limits with your parents, or cultivating a strong support system. Alongside that, the "Protection Framework" teaches how to shield your kids from the fallout. Things like not sharing details with them, refusing to put them in the middle, and modeling healthy boundaries. When you start to implement these tools, you'll notice a profound shift. You'll feel more in control, less burdened by guilt and shame, and able to parent from a calmer, more intentional place. Most importantly, your kids will grow up with a different legacy — one defined by your hard work to break free, not the toxicity of the past.