Many of you grew up parenting your own parents. And now that you are ACTUALLY parents to children, you feel the need to manage the way your parents respond to your parenting style.
You want to make your parents happy. You don’t like conflict. But you hate the way they nit pick your choice of schools, clothing, how you feed or discipline your child. You bend when they are around + you find yourself shrinking in their presence. It’s humiliating, debilitating + confusing. “Why can’t I stand up to them?” you think. You’d never let anyone else treat you this way, but you let them. They are family, right?
It’s extremely hard to set boundaries with your parents, especially if one day you feel you are the adult in the relationship, and the next you are the small child being belittled + embarrassed.
I can tell you it doesn’t get better over night… but it can get better. It takes awareness, practice and a willingness to get uncomfortable. A lot of discomfort, actually.
Your parents had their chance to parent. Now it’s your turn. Guilt will arise, but it’s not in charge. You were hand chosen to care for your babies. Don’t ever forget that.
Sending you encouragement. 🤍
