Dear Neil: I love my children. My ex took them away from me. It’s a long terrible story, and I’ve been living in hell ever since. My children are grown now, but will have nothing to do with me. I have no idea of how to get them to want a relationship with me. Not […]
When Your Grown Child Rejects You
Dear Neil: My daughter does’t want contact with me. She will not call, and she won’t respond to my attempts at communicating. Is there any way of redeeming this relationship? Rejected By My Grown Child Dear Rejected: Here are some suggestions about what to do: When communication is possible, make the first move; don’t expect […]
Accepting What Is: Making Peace With A Broken Dream
Dear Neil: I can relate to an article you wrote some months ago on parental alienation. My two daughters are now in their mid-twenties, and have started the beginnings of their own lives. To this day, nothing has changed for me regarding my relationship with my now two young adult children. My time spent with […]
Improving Your Relationship With Your Grown Children
Dear Neil: I have five grown children and have always been a loving and supportive parent. I call and visit when I have money for gas, but my children aren’t as poor as I am, and they seldom call me and hardly ever visit. I never ask for their help—I just want them to call […]
A Granddad Asks: How Can I Diffuse my Daughter-In-Law’s Mistrust?
Dear Neil: My son has been married to a drama queen for ten years. I see them and my two granddaughters (aged 7 and 4) infrequently, despite the fact that they live only an hour away. When we meet, I get along well with my son, and my granddaughters are a delight. My daughter-in-law tends […]
When Your Grown Kids Reject You
Dear Neil: I was an emotionally absent mother, just like my mother was to me. Now my children are adults with their own children, and I would like to mend the past with them. My son shows the scars of his past and often rejects me by words or actions. My greatest wish is that […]
Repairing a Relationship With Your Grown Son or Daughter
Dear Neil: We have had trouble with our daughter-in-law for years. She has decided to not let us into our son’s life, or our grandchildren’s lives. We have tried to make amends, but to no avail. We love our grandchildren, but are not allowed any contact. Do you have any recommendations? Hurting in Bristol, Tennessee […]
Is There Anything We Can Do About Our Son Who Refuses Contact With Us?
Dear Neil: Our 33 year-old son has no contact with us, but he also doesn’t have contact with his brothers, aunts or uncles, cousins and grandparents. This has been going on for four years now. Why would he be this rejecting of his parents? Is there anything we can do to change this and bring […]
Mending The Family Estrangement
Note: This is the second of a two-part series. Click here for part one You used to be so close, but now you’re not talking to each other. And it hurts. How do you go about mending a family estrangement? Work through your resentments. When you have worked through resentments that get in your way, […]
Are You Estranged From Someone in Your Family?
Note: This is the first of a two-part series. Click here for part two Are you estranged from a loved one in your family? Someone who doesn’t want to see or even speak to you? Or perhaps it’s a group of relatives who want nothing more to do with you. There are myriad reasons for […]