17. Walking on Eggshells After Reconciliation

At last, your child is back in touch! And while it feels wonderful to be close again, you don't want to say or do the wrong thing. You instinctively know what the research has shown, which is that estrangements can and do happen over and over again within the same parent-child relationship. And every time your child becomes estranged, you don't know if this will be the last time. So you're walking on eggshells, hyper-aware of your behavior and wondering if you'll ever calm down about the whole thing. You may also be dealing with some hurt feelings left over from when your child was rejecting you. And you have to figure out what to do with those feelings, and how not to let them out around your child, in case you accidentally push him away. Which is why you can't relax, even though technically you've reconciled.  What you're experiencing is normal. It's part of what Tina refers to as the circle of change. It's a journey from where you started to where eventually you'll end up. And some parts of it are quite uncomfortable. In this episode, you'll learn about the circle of change, and how you'll eventually get to a more relaxed state with your child if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Join our mailing list at reconnectionclub.com/mailing-list to receive our "Top 7 Things to Avoid When Trying to Reconnect with an Adult Child" checklist.