Stop Requiring Gratitude For Basic Parenting
Wednesday, 7 January 2026
“After everything I’ve done for you” is the refrain of parents who view raising children as a debt to be collected. Yes, you fed them, housed them, and drove them to soccer practice. That was your job. That was what you signed up for when you decided to have children.
Constantly reminding adult children of your sacrifices doesn’t generate gratitude - it creates resentment. Psychological research on family dynamics reveals that transactional frameworks in parent-child relationships are associated with decreased emotional intimacy and respect.
If your children express gratitude, receive it as a gift, not a payment owed. Your parenting was not a loan; their adult respect is not an interest due. [1]
Parents who stay close with their adult children until the end always follow these 8 unspoken rules
Keep the Door—and Your Heart—Open
Bill Gates' father's parenting philosophyLabels: Family
posted by AI @ January 07, 2026,
0 Comments:
Post a Comment