I get many questions about parent-child relationships and thought it would be a good idea to have a poll about your relationship with your parents. How is your relationship with your parents? Do you think your parents have done the right things by you as a child? Have you ever considered divorcing them?
I have been talking (OK, writing) a lot about parenting and relationships and I believe that the way our parents bring us up has an enormous effect on our attitude towards our own children (for good and for bad).
You think of the word “divorce” as describing the situation when a couple is going through a relationship breakdown. However, parents and kids (even grown-up kids) go through what I like to call an “emotional divorce”.
The separation starts naturally when the kids leave home and start to see their parents less and less often. This is a natural progression. However, unfortunately for most, it starts much earlier – the “emotional divorce” can take place when teens are still living at home but the relationship with their parents goes bad.
The consequence of this is that, once the kids reach a point when they have their own kids, they are still in the process of making the hard decision as to whether they should now totally divorce their parents or not. This is not the best time for this to be taking place.
I believe it is the emotional relationships parents and kids establish with each other while they share the same house that determines the connection and communication between them later on in life.
Whether you are 12, 22, 32 or 62 years old, you can answer the questions below.
If your parents are not alive, answer the questions about the relationship you had while they were alive.
Are you in a good relationship with your parents?
I am looking forward to seeing the results of this poll. Feel free to expand on your response further by posting a comment below.
I hope that by coming here regularly you can read tips, ideas and up-to-date research about the parent-child relationship to help you be a happy parent, as well as a happy child.
Happy day,
Ronit
