As I mentioned in the last post, there are two types of parentification: 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Acting as a friend and confidant to a parent, becoming the peacemaker, emotionally supporting the family. I𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – helping the family with physical …
Category: Parenting
When We Have Emotionally Immature Parents
Let’s start with emotionally immature parents. Your parents were emotionally immature because THEIR parents were emotionally immature. Emotional maturity is passed through family lines. If we are raised by people who know how to have healthy boundaries, self-regulate, have functional, …
Being the Mother of a Creative Child
All children are naturally creative. I often feel too busy to be creative, and that way of being doesn’t move me towards health or self-fulfillment. Now, when Ariel shops to randomly write the first letter of her name in the …
Messages For all The Parents of Babies and Toddlers in this Pandemic
I have parented a ten and eleven-year-old through this pandemic. I had to explain the virus when there was no vaccine, and we were expecting to lose a considerable number of people. We didn’t know how contagious it was or …
The Power of the Parent-Child Connection
As a parent, there are two ways to view this: With hopelessness. With the thought that you have already made too many mistakes. With hope. With the belief that the changes I make today CAN make a difference. Some questions …
PTSD and Dysregulation
If you have been following me for a while, then you know I talk about this a LOT. Gone are the days when we can think it’s okay for children to be raised in homes where there is violence, abuse, …
Connection
How do you let your children know you love them? I ask! I ask if they feel loved. I say, “if you were to feel a little bit more loved by me today, what would happen, or what would I …
When We Are Afraid of Really ‘Showing Up’ We Run The Risk of Gaslighting the Other Person
Let me give you an example. Some of the parenting I had growing up was quite sharp and stern. Rules were not made to be broken, they were made to be followed, and there were consequences when they were not …
Parenting Tips From A 10-Year-Old
This was totally unprompted, she had no idea what I was going to ask her. How amazing is it that the first thing she says is tone and softness of voice! This shows the impact of using a soothing tone …
The Lost Art of Eating and Connecting
I grew up eating my dinner with a tray on my lap in front of the TV watching Neighbours (an Ozzie TV show that we LOVED in the UK with Kylie Minogue ????). We were together as a family, but …