Danielle Boedeker from Covington, Washington, feels she has completely lost her 13-year-old daughter, Edi. This is not just an obscure feeling but a tangible moment for her; it hit her hard at a time when, for any parent, it would have been uneventful and filled with joyful thoughts.
A moment at her 9-year-old daughter’s soccer game was when everything took its toll on Danielle’s heart; she was there to cheer for her kids, as any mom would. However, instead of being able to come to the game with her daughter, Edi came with Danielle’s ex-husband and father of Edi, Ben, which already hurt her deep down inside at that moment.
When Danielle went up to speak to Edi, she mentioned a school performance and a recent trip. Edi wouldn’t answer; she wouldn’t even look at her. Instead, she turned her back and spoke only to her father. In that moment, it broke Danielle’s heart.
That is why, as far as some people are concerned, such a thing hurts more than it seems to. I have watched children ignore their parents, and sometimes these thoughts lurked in the back of my mind: just an attitude. But when those very same kids are yours, it hits hard. It gives you an invisible feeling.
Danielle said Edi is upset over the divorce. The two separated and were officially divorced on April 1, 2025. Edi lives mainly with her father now. Danielle further added that she hardly saw her older daughter, while Edi saw her dad all the time. That gap widened the gap between them.
Danielle explained that she had never spoken disparagingly of her children’s father in their presence, as she wished to maintain some respect for him. It has not been easy, though; she is two years post-back surgery, which has left her permanently disabled and unable to work full-time. Oh, she doesn’t even have transportation, and the kids mostly live with their dad because of money and medical issues.
After being ignored at the soccer field, she could take it no longer and walked weeping alone to the parking lot. That, as a view to a parent, is unbearably painful to even think about: your child standing there with another as if you do not exist.
Many online connected with the story of Danielle. Many parents who went through the teenage phase share their opinion. They get great parents off the limit, testing their emotions. Kids go away from parents, the very ones who love them to their very guts. Most of them agreed on one thing: Never stop showing up.
They told her to keep going, to the games. Keep texting. Keep saying, “I love you,” even though they do not reply. A comment stated that 13 is an age when kids are very much confused, emotional, and do not know how to deal with the divorce or any change.
From my own experience, I have seen teens acting all distant when, deep inside, they do care. They might not tell you, but they notice everything. Silence does not mean that they hate you. Sometimes silence means that they are hurting, too.
Danielle’s narratives are not just drama; they are real pain. A mother pushed away by her own child; much pain that so many parents feel and live with in silence.
At the end of the day, kids still need their parents, even when they turn their backs on them. Even when they act like they do not care. Love does not disappear but goes on until it is reciprocated. You may also be interested in: Marthasville Missouri Mom Feels Proud After Her Teen Son Saves Lives By Stopping At Car Accident
