If you’ve ever found yourself saying “yes” to your parents even when every part of you wanted to say “no,” you’re not alone. Many adults who grew up with emotionally immature parents feel an almost instinctive pressure to comply—whether it’s agreeing to a last-minute request, accepting unwanted advice, or sacrificing their own needs to keep the peace.

If you grew up feeling like it was your responsibility to keep the peace, manage emotions, or even take care of your parent's needs, you’re not alone. Many adults find themselves stuck in the role of the family caretaker long after childhood. It’s exhausting, unfulfilling, and often unfair—but breaking free from it can feel impossible.

If you grew up shouldering responsibilities that weren’t yours—whether that meant caring for younger siblings, managing household tasks, or acting as your parent’s emotional support system—you likely experienced parentification. At the time, you may not have even realised it was happening. It was just “normal.”

If you spent your childhood feeling more like a caregiver than a child, you might have experienced parentification—a role reversal where a child takes on responsibilities that should have belonged to an adult.

Maybe you were the one making sure your younger siblings were fed and dressed for school. Maybe you found yourself calming down your parent after their bad day or acting as their emotional support system. At the time, it may have felt normal—or even like something to be proud of. But the truth is, being forced to grow up too fast has lasting effects on your emotional well-being, self-worth, and relationships.

Have you ever been told, “You’re just too nice for your own good”? On the surface, being agreeable and conflict-avoidant might seem like a good thing. After all, you’re keeping the peace, making others happy, and avoiding drama. But beneath the surface, being ‘too nice’ often comes at a hidden cost—one that impacts your emotional, mental, and relational well-being.

Growing up with emotionally immature or narcissistic parents often means you’ve been taught—directly or indirectly—that your needs come second, or even last. You might have been praised for being “the helpful one,” or made to feel guilty if you weren’t always accommodating others. As an adult, this can lead to patterns of over-giving, people-pleasing, and neglecting your own well-being.

Have you ever said “no” to someone, only to be immediately hit with a wave of guilt? That heavy, uncomfortable feeling might leave you wondering if you’ve done something wrong or let someone down. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and it’s not your fault.

If you grew up with at least one emotionally immature parent, chances are you know a thing or two about being a people-pleaser. That sinking feeling when you think someone is upset with you—the way it can feel life-shattering—might be all too familiar.

Parenting is a unique opportunity to rewrite the narrative of your upbringing. For those who grew up with emotionally immature parents, the desire to create a different, healthier environment for your own children can feel both empowering and overwhelming. Emotional immaturity in parenting often fosters toxic dynamics—leaving children feeling unseen, invalidated, or responsible for their parents’ emotions. The good news? You have the power to break these patterns and build a family dynamic rooted in emotional safety and connection.

Parenting is a profound journey that shapes not only the lives of your children but also your own emotional world. For adults who grew up with emotionally immature parents, the challenge of modelling healthy emotional behaviour can feel particularly daunting. However, cultivating emotional regulation is an essential skill that not only supports your well-being but also profoundly impacts your child’s emotional development.

Parenting is often described as one of life’s most rewarding journeys, but it can also be one of the most challenging!

If you’ve ever caught yourself reacting in a way that doesn’t align with the parent you want to be—maybe snapping in frustration or feeling overly responsible for your child’s emotions—you’re not alone. These moments often stem from our own unresolved childhood experiences, which subtly shape the way we interact with and nurture our children.

Growing up with an emotionally immature parent often leaves a profound mark. Perhaps you were raised by someone who struggled with expressing empathy, dismissed your feelings, or relied on you to meet their emotional needs.

These experiences can create a complex mix of emotions as you become a parent yourself—determined to do things differently but unsure how to navigate uncharted territory.

In a nutshell, emotional gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation where someone causes you to question your perceptions, feelings, or even sanity. This is often not too noticeable at first and is done through words or behaviours that dismiss, belittle, or contradict your experiences or emotions.

If you’ve been gaslit, especially by people close to you, it’s common to feel like your self-confidence has been stripped away. When you’re constantly told your feelings are “too much” or that your memories are wrong, it’s no wonder you start doubting yourself.

Growing up with emotionally immature or manipulative individuals can make you second-guess yourself, even as an adult. Being gaslit in your formative years can shape how you see yourself and others, often spilling into adult relationships in unexpected ways.

If you’ve ever felt a cloud of confusion surrounding your memories and emotions, you might be experiencing the effects of emotional gaslighting. This insidious form of psychological manipulation can leave you doubting your own perceptions and questioning the validity of your feelings.

Emotional gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation where one person seeks to make another doubt their perceptions, memories, and feelings. This insidious tactic often manifests in family dynamics, particularly between parents and their children, leading to profound and lasting damage.

Many adults feel a constant pressure to live according to their parents’ expectations, even well into adulthood. This pressure can manifest in various aspects of life—career choices, relationships, lifestyle, and even personal values. The sense of obligation to meet these expectations can be overwhelming, often leading to feelings of inadequacy or guilt if you deviate from the path your parents envisioned for you.

Unconscious patterns are deeply ingrained behaviours or emotional responses that develop in childhood and continue to shape our adult relationships. These patterns often form as a response to early experiences, especially in the context of emotionally immature parents. For example, a child who grew up with a parent who was dismissive or controlling may develop coping mechanisms such as people-pleasing, avoiding conflict, or suppressing their own needs in an effort to maintain peace.

If you’ve ever found yourself constantly seeking validation from others—whether it’s a partner, a boss, or even friends—you’re not alone. Many adults raised by emotionally immature parents experience this deep need for external approval. This need can feel almost insatiable, driving you to seek reassurance from the people around you to feel worthy or “good enough.” But why does this happen?

Many adults go through life unaware of the unconscious patterns formed in childhood that still shape their relationships today. These patterns often stem from dynamics with emotionally immature parents, who may have lacked the emotional capacity to validate their children's feelings or foster independence. As children, we naturally seek approval from our parents—craving their affection and validation. When this need isn’t consistently met, or when the parent imposes their own emotional needs onto the child, it creates an invisible loyalty. This loyalty keeps us tied to behaviours that served us in childhood but may no longer serve us in adult life.