Sister Wives' Kody Brown is trying to make peace with his older children, but so much has happened, and there's always the chance that his apologies won't be enough to change things for the better. Kody is not the man he once was - the bright-eyed, smiling gentleman of yesteryear is gone, and in his place, there is a jaded gaze, a harder, leaner face, and so much bitterness and suspicion. Nonetheless, there are glimmers of softness inside of Robyn Brown's husband. Extending the olive branch sends a hopeful message.

In Sister Wives season 19, Kody clashed with his exes over the as-yet-unsold Coyote land, stalling on a sale. Perhaps he was trying to get a rise out of them, or control them. However, later on, Kody enlarged Janelle and Meri Brown's shares in the patch of Arizona land. Then, he listed the property for sale. Each woman ended up with $305,000 in cold, hard cash - that windfall likely took the edge off the horrors of the past, namely, increasingly loveless spiritual unions.

Kody Recently Made With His Older Kids

He's Softening In 2025

In the current Sister Wives installment, Kody said that he's been connecting with Sister Wives' Mykelti Brown and two of his older sons. They were all in Utah together. The identities of the sons are still a mystery, but all of this bodes well. For years, he's been parroting the viewpoint that his children need to come to him to resolve things.

Kody believed that it was their responsibility to heal the rifts with him, and this line of thinking seemed misguided. He is the parent - the one tasked with giving care and love. In fact, what his older children by other mothers seemed to resent the most was the fact that he isn't a safe place to fall. They want a father who's really there for them. If a father isn't present, how can he be an emotional safety net? This is the puzzle that Kody solves when he spends time with his kids.

Kody's Changing The Game

He Needed To Evolve

By reaching out to his children, rather than waiting for them to make the first moves, he could win the game, sparking a new era of togetherness which might provide a lot of comfort to the middle-aged man. Season 19 hasn't exactly been a fun ride so far, as seen in the clip above.

Kody is not a teenager anymore, and he needs to prioritize the strengthening of these precious bonds. However, it's possible that, despite genuine efforts to improve things, there's too much bad blood. Regardless, he should try, and if he fails, try again. Nothing is more important than making one's own child feel loved, safe, and respected.

Kody, our man in Flagstaff, is no spy from a John Le Carré novel. He could never hide the love that was in his heart. Everyone could see that he was bewitched by Robyn. While he might have benefited from concealing that painful truth, no one should have to go through life pretending. Of course, he didn't really have to. As soon as Robyn was a part of his life, Kody's cover was blown. He was blatantly a monogamous man trapped in a plural marriage. That brought so much discomfort, not just for him, but for "the others."

Unfortunately, some of the "others" were children, who had to watch their father dote on a woman who wasn't their mother. They had to see their mom's tears, and jealousy, and disappointment. The look in her eyes when things weren't going well would be seared into her child's mind and memory. It would darken their view of their father.

In fact, Kody believes this is true. He has said that his problems with his children are a byproduct of his love for Robyn. He feels he's being punished for preferring her, and maybe he is. He feels persecuted, but his loyalty to Robyn is absolute.

However, free of the mental prison that is unwanted polygamy, Kody can soar. He does not need to pretend anymore. He can be himself with his kids. That kind of authenticity could change everything. While he shouldn't rub his happiness with Robyn in their faces, and perhaps their romance isn't so perfect anyway, he should let his children know who he really is.

Now, in a traditional marriage, it should be easier for him to be real with his kids. As much as anything, seeing the real person under the mask is essential. To really know someone is the greatest comfort of all.

Kody Seems More Honorable Now

Maybe His Kids Will Warm Up To Him

So, he has given his heart to one woman alone, and Kody did that long ago. However, when he relinquished some of his 97 percent share of the land, he seemed to be doing the honorable thing. Kody was experimenting with gentlemanly conduct, perhaps scared straight by Janelle and Meri's threats to "lawyer up." I think this experiment is the right strategy. It is diplomatic, loving... an intelligent path forward. Above, Paedon shared a happy moment with other Brown kids, via Instagram. Kody should be in more of these types of photographs.

For whatever reason, Kody decided to share the Coyote money - quite a lot of money. This will probably make it easier for him to get back into the lives of his older children by non-Robyn mothers. For example, Janelle has (or had) serious money problems. Helping their mother by giving her over 300,000 dollars is going to endear him to their children. Still, the sins of the past, if they are sins, will cast a long shadow.

He is trying to smooth things out with Mykelti. He's been known for putting his children down in the past - for example, he once called Maddie Brown a "gossip," which really inflamed her. She was told what he said by another child - for Kody to talk about his children behind their backs is a very bad move. That's a breach of trust and privacy. Kids need to be able to trust their parents. Perhaps things aren't as bad as all that with Mykelti. There could be less damage to repair.

With Paedon Brown, and Gwendlyn Brown, there are all issues that run very deep. Paedon outed his father as a COVID-19 anti-vaxxer, and Gwendlyn took to the airwaves to let the world know that her father is financially irresponsible. These children also breached trust and privacy, damaging their relationships with their father, but then again, they are the kids, and he is the parent. It's his job to take what they dish out, to look within, and to do better.

Sister Wives Kody Brown is on the right track. He's out of the loop that was holding him back - the repetitive negative thoughts that poisoned his mind, the shifting of blame, the retreating into ego. He's reaching out for more, and trying to go higher. This can only help him. I'm on Kody's side as he attempts to stem the flood of bad blood, and tame his own demons. I think he can turn things around, don't you?

Source: Paedon Brown/Instagram