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Toxic adult children

Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: May 22 5:36pm | Replies (36)

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@nancypatton

I’m so sorry you are going through this. I’ve always had a good relationship with all my kids until my eldest daughter decided to blow me off by not coming to an important dinner I arranged for her family to meet her sister’s fiancé and see her other siblings she hadn’t visited with for a few years. She never said she wasn’t coming or even let me know the day of the dinner. She just never showed up. I’m 77 and this took place the evening before another daughter’s wedding. I had spent hours cooking and baking etc. I, like you, was devastated. I wasn’t even angry just heartbroken and suffering terrible pain and grief. That was 6 months ago and she still hasn’t apologized or reached out to talk to me about it. I’m left racking my brain to figure out what I did. There is lots of back story but we always have had a good relationship. I can only pray for help, pray for her, and stay in therapy. I never thought this would happen. I get along great with my other 4 children. Thank goodness I have an excellent relationship with her kids and they keep in touch and let me know that they love me. She has always been my most difficult child and I have put up with her disrespect and thoughtless behavior in the past, making excuses for her. Maybe that was my mistake. I can tell you that it gets better. I’ve gained perspective and grown in wisdom from this experience. I know that our life on earth doesn’t end at death. We have an eternity to see things change. This is only a small moment in time. My best wishes to you and for your recovery.

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Replies to "I’m so sorry you are going through this. I’ve always had a good relationship with all..."

i truly believe that we may not ever understand the behavior of our adult children and if they're not willing to rectify the disconnect, there's little we can do besides constantly questioning ourselves, what we did, or even assigning blame to them but it takes both of you wanting to reconnect or re-evaluate the situation. for me, at 78 with many post covid long haul symptoms that have affected me emotionally and physically, i've got to take care of me; keep my marriage in tact, and seek the help of a therapist to help me understand my part in the disconnect or to eventually let go. the older i've gotten the more wise i've become and hear about so many family disconnects...we are not alone tho we may feel alone very often.