Our interview with Emily Wyler, a 30-something adult glass child from the United States marks a turning point in Season 1. Emily gets raw and real about the cost of being the “good one.”



At 4 years old her teachers turned against her instead of understanding the trauma or nearly losing her baby sister to multiple surgeries and how her parents punished her.



As a teen you’ll hear how she finally found a safe haven, only to have it ripped from her by her parents. 



You’ll hear how her childhood trauma followed her into adulthood: perfectionism, dating people who mirrored chaos, a crushing fear of becoming a parent and the lifelong grief of never having been asked, “Emily, how are you?”



A gentle trigger warning: This episode includes discussions of medical trauma, childhood emotional neglect, physical punishment, bullying, perfectionism, grief, complex family loyalty, and fear about lifelong caregiving responsibility. Please listen with care and seek support if needed.



This is Emily’s story—and it’s a mirror for every glass child who was expected to be grateful, responsible, and fine while silently falling apart.



Welcome to the I See Glass Children podcast.







What You’ll Hear




Emily’s early childhood as a “waiting room child” while her sister endured multiple surgeries and hospitalizations



How her anger and acting out in preschool were punished instead of understood as trauma



The pain of being known only as “the sick kid’s sister” and never as her own person



How constant praise for being “fine,” “mature,” and “self-sufficient” trained her to become a perfectionist caregiver instead of a cared-for child



The camp story: the one place Emily felt free, and how a single decision tied to her sister cost her the dream she’d held since childhood



How this “training” shaped her adult life:

gravitating toward unhealthy relationships



struggling to receive care



fear of having children of her own



terror about what happens when her parents die and her sister still needs full-time care





Why she still wrestles with guilt—feeling she “could have been a better sister”—and Alicia’s on-air truth-telling: “You were a child.”



A clear message to parents of high-needs kids:

See your other children



Ask how they are



Protect their dreams, not just their sibling’s survival



Make intentional 1:1 time and listen when they’re brave enough to say what they need





A message to adult glass children:

You are not selfish for having limits



You are not obligated to destroy your life to prove your love



Healing begins when you start taking care of yourself on purpose










Connect & Engage



Ready to join the movement? Here’s how you can help break the silence around glass children:




Subscribe to the I See Glass Children Podcast on YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | or wherever you get your podcasts.



Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it and tell them, “You have to hear this.”



Visit https://iseeglasschildren.com and subscribe to Behind the Glass for exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and a special PDF with tips for helping glass children.



Spread the Word: Share this episode with your bestie, your therapist, your teachers, your minister, friends. Sharing is caring—and hearing is healing.








REMEMBER:



If you’re struggling, reach out to a mental-health professional. You do not have to do this alone.



Thank you for listening to the I See Glass Children podcast.



I’m Alicia Meneses Maples, and I see you.







Produced by: Brewing.Media



Dedicated to: My Daddy. I love you with all my heart forevers.



Special thanks to: BlueHair
The post The Hidden Cost of Childhood Emotional Neglect with Emily Wyler appeared first on iseeglasschildren.com.

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