How a Child Should Communicate with Emotionally Immature Parents: Accept or Set Boundaries

11.04.2024 10:49

Sometimes it can be very difficult with parents - especially when they behave like little children - selfishly and impulsively.

If your mom and dad refuse to accept your independence, groundlessly deny your opinions, or don’t care about your feelings at all, communicating with them is more like an endless quest in which you make every effort to sort out a difficult relationship without losing your mental health.

But the good news is that this difficult journey becomes much easier once you learn how to deal with emotionally immature parents.

Accept it

As much as you would like to believe that someday your family will admit their mistakes, take responsibility and apologize to you, most likely this will never happen.

All that is left for you is to “mourn” the ideal relationship with your parents that you never had. This will help you to part with the hope that glimmers in the depths of your soul that your father or mother will change, and to stop tolerating their behavior, which is not good for either you or them.

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Photo: Pixabay

Mark the boundaries

Set external boundaries by defining what behavior you expect from your parents. After that, you can move on to internal boundaries - this means deciding what you are willing and unwilling to tolerate from your mom and dad.

When you notice that a conversation with your father or mother is slipping into a dysfunctional scenario from childhood, stop this behavior.

Don't expect your parents to stop literally pushing you to the boiling point - no, their emotional immaturity prevents them from respecting their child's personal boundaries.

Justifications, defending your decisions, arguing and explaining will not help – parents will still insist on their own.

Find a way to get love and connection

Receive love and companionship

If your immediate family cannot provide this, find other people who can meet your needs for love and open communication - these could be mentors, other family members, etc.

This way you can get rid of the negative patterns of behavior and thinking that you grew up with.

Earlier we listed 5 qualities of a woman who will not be abandoned by a man.

Elena Shimanovskaya Author: Elena Shimanovskaya Editor of Internet resources


Content
  1. Accept it
  2. Mark the boundaries
  3. Receive love and companionship