Parents with distant adult children almost always display these 7 behaviors (without realizing it) - Silicon Canals

"Picture this: You're at a coffee shop, and you overhear a conversation at the next table. A woman is telling her friend how her daughter never calls anymore, how she has to hear about her life through social media. "I don't understand," she says. "We gave her everything." That conversation stuck with me because I've heard variations of it so many times. Parents who genuinely love their children but can't figure out why there's this invisible wall between them now that their kids are adults."

"They're hurt, confused, and often completely unaware that certain behaviors might be pushing their children away. After years of observing these dynamics in my own family and others, and diving deep into the psychology behind family relationships, I've noticed that parents with distant adult children often share similar patterns. These aren't terrible parents. They're usually loving people who simply don't realize how their actions affect their grown children."

"They still treat their adult children like teenagers Remember being sixteen and your mom asking if you remembered to bring a jacket? Now imagine you're thirty-six and she's still doing it. This behavior goes beyond simple concern. It shows up as constant reminders about basic adult tasks, unsolicited advice about every decision, and a general inability to see their child as a capable adult."

Many parents maintain protective, parental behaviors long after children become adults, continuing to offer reminders, unsolicited advice, and monitoring. Those actions arise from nearly two decades of responsibility and a protective instinct that does not automatically switch off when children reach adulthood. Adult children often interpret continued parenting as a lack of trust and a refusal to recognize competence. Persistent treating of grown children like teenagers can create emotional distance and feelings of being controlled. Loving intentions can coexist with behaviors that push children away when boundaries and peer-like relationships are not established.

Read at Silicon Canals