Helping or Enabling? When Adult Children Return Home
When an adult child moves back home once, many parents see it as temporary. But what happens when it becomes a pattern?
In this episode of Straight from the Listener Line: Real Questions, Real Answers, Denise is joined by psychotherapist Joe Nucci to answer a listener's heartfelt question about her adult son, who has returned home five different times.
Together they explore the difficult balance between offering support and fostering independence, why curiosity is more helpful than assumptions, and how parents can have honest conversations without losing compassion.
We discuss:
- Why adult children may repeatedly move back home
- The difference between helping and enabling
- Questions parents should ask before making decisions
- How curiosity can uncover the real issue
- Why temporary discomfort can sometimes lead to long-term growth
- Navigating guilt while remaining true to your parenting values
Key Takeaway
Sometimes the hardest part of parenting isn't opening the door—it's knowing when it's time to close it.
To send us your own question for a future episode:
Call our Listener Line: 719-347-1106
Email: BiteYourTonguePodcast@gmail.com
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Huge thanks to Connie Gorant Fisher, our audio engineer.
Website: biteyourtonguepodcast.com
Substack: Behind the Mic
Listener Line: 719-347-1106
Email: biteyourtonguepodcast@gmail.com
And remember…
sometimes you just have to bite your tongue.
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