When adult kids call their parents toxic or narcissistic, that label often says more about the child's emotional state than reality. Two moves can help: ask how they thought that would land with you, then reflect back what you're hearing, like "It sounds like you're angry."
So I love what Sally has to say here. It's true. If your adult child is calling you narcissistic or toxic, it's more about their emotional state and less a reflection of you as a parent. But here's what I'd add. I would add that there are a couple of responses that you can go with here. The first response is to say something like, you called me toxic. How did you think that would land with me? That's one option. The other option is to say something along the lines of, "It sounds like you're angry. Is that right?" So what you're doing with both of these comments is you're taking away the accusation and shifting the direction of the conversation to talk more about empathy. So that's my take. Let me know in the comments what you think of these approaches.
How To Enforce Household Rules With Your Adult Children #parenting #family #chores
Why Gen Z Isn't Broken: What Parents of Stuck Grads Are Missing (with Ryan Vet)
When Helping Your Adult Child Becomes Enabling #parenting #family #relationships
Don't fight over their gaming habits—try this instead #parentingadvice #boundaries
