Public allegations of infidelity threaten the future well-being of the former couple’s daughters, demanding a selfless pivot from social media drama toward a unified parenting front.
As a father of two sons who are the product of a divorce, I'm offering sincerity and not sarcasm as I serve up some unsolicited "broken-home'' advice to Sarah Jane Ramos.
It's not about you.
Oh, and Dak Prescott, that goes for you as well.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Prescott and his ex-fiance have two baby daughters who deserve to be raised by parents who are wise and generous enough to prioritize the needs of the kids ...
Regardless of the pain felt by the parents.
Ramos recently ignored that strategy by going public with Prescott-centered allegations regarding the couple's breakup in March just ahead of their scheduled wedding.
She took to Instagram to announce that she's "happier than I’ve been in a long time!”
Good!
But she added, “That’s usually what happens when you aren’t getting cheated on repeatedly and finally leave a situation that makes you unhappy.”
Not good.
It may be true that Prescott was unfaithful - which makes that subject fair game should Ramos wish to share it privately with her therapist.
But what is the benefit of announcing this trashy information in a way that will someday be consumed by Dak and Sarah Jane's little kids?
Put football (and Dallas' 1-2 record) aside for a moment.
Children don't need to see and hear their parents fight. ... whether it's in their private kitchen or everybody's public headlines. And they certainly don't need to know the sordid details that triggered this particular conflict.
Prescott and Ramos - just like my ex-wife and myself - created our problems ... and it's immaterial "who started it'' or "who's at fault.''
We often see divorced parents attempt to "get the kids to take their side'' by telling the children ugly tales about their exes. ... and in this case, Ramos getting some "truth'' off her chest only serves to (eventually) load it onto the shoulders of her daughters Margaret Jane Rose, 2, and Aurora Rayne, 9 months.
My hope is that Prescott's most poignant statement on the breakup is a truthful one. ... and that the former couple can team up to be on this same parenting page.
"It was an unfortunate situation for obviously everybody - most importantly, the kids,'' he said. "And so for me, it’s just about making sure I’m there in every way for them.”
A People magazine source says that Ramos “genuinely did not intend to attack Dak with her comment at all.” Rather, the source says Ramos was “finally standing up for herself.''
Ah, but Sarah Jane, please hurry to understand: As a parent, it's no longer about "yourself.''
