Parents’ Actions That Impede Children’s Resilience and Adult Lives

17.

“Guilt tripping them.”

—u/CreamyAndrew

“Ugh, I’m going through this with my wife and her mother right now. My wife and I are 40. I’ve moved around most of my life, and have lived more than an hour away from my parents for the last 20 years. My wife has lived in her hometown (where we currently live) her whole life. Her parents have lived here their whole lives.

We’re now thinking of moving a couple of hours away to be closer to my sister and her daughter, probably sometime in the next six months. My wife is excited to move but has been worried sick about telling her mother because of how upset she’d be.

In the end, we told her dad on Friday and asked him to tell her mom, hoping that he could soften the blow a little. No such luck it seems. The wife tried to call her mom today and she ‘can’t talk now, her tears are in overdrive’ — for moving two hours away. We’re 40.

The real kicker is, her younger brother moved further away years ago. That’s fine, apparently but my wife moving is a huge problem. My wife is feeling horribly guilty.”

—u/SatNav