You and your relationship with your parents…

Do you ever find yourself getting annoyed with your parents?

Your own children are finally off to school, things are running smoothly at work — and then your parents start criticizing you. Suddenly, they feel left out, or think you’re doing everything wrong.

Do you recognise this maybe?

The relationship with our parents can bring out the most complicated, beautiful, precious, painful, and insightful moments in life.

My generation (those of us now in our fifties and sixties) grew up with parents who lived through World War II or were born just after. That left deep marks. Talking about emotions simply wasn’t done. You were expected to be grateful you’d survived, keep going, work hard, create stability — that was what mattered.

Then came the next generation. Dr. Spock became the guide: peace, cleanliness, and regularity. Children were not to be seen or heard. There was love, but no real language for emotions. Most parents just did what had been done to them.

Thankfully, times have changed.

But what if you realise you never really learned how to talk about your feelings?
What if you don’t know what to do with your anger, sadness, or the ache of not being seen?

American psychologist Lindsay C. Gibson wrote a wonderful book about this: Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents. Her insights are so clear and compassionate that I decided to dedicate a short series to them.

Maybe her words — and these reflections — will give you new insight into your own story, and help you relate differently to your children.

Because ultimately, this is not about blaming our parents.
It’s about awareness.
For yourself — and for those who come after you.

#awareness #parenting #relationshipwithparents #emotions #innerchild #generationalpatterns #personalgrowth #mentalhealth #trulybeingyourself #healingtheline