Some time ago, your adult child asked you to give him space. He became estranged. But now he's reached out to you.

The door has been opened at last!

You send your child an invitation, a photo, or a link. And... he's gone again. What happened?

Why does an adult child reach out to her parents, only to disappear again? Ambivalence is common among estranged adults, and it's a setup for what Tina calls The Escalation Trap.

It's important to note that this is not a trap set intentionally by people estranged from family. It's created by the circumstances of ambivalent connection.

On this episode, Tina describes the escalation trap and, more importantly, what parents can do to avoid it.

For information on how to repair the parent-adult child relationship, read Tina's book, Reconnecting With Your Estranged Adult Child.

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Other episode mentioned on this show:

38. If Your Child "Blows Hot and Cold"