If your adult child has stopped speaking to you, pulled away, or cut off contact, you may be wondering: Am I the only mom going through this?

You're surrounded by families who seem fine. You sit in church, attend holidays, go to work, and answer questions about your children while carrying a heartbreak that very few people can see.

In this video, I'm talking about the hidden grief of estrangement from an adult child — including something called ambiguous grief. It's the pain of grieving someone who is still alive, but whose relationship with you has changed or disappeared.

We'll also talk about why estrangement can feel so incredibly isolating, why well-meaning friends and family often don't understand, and how shame can convince mothers to carry this pain silently.

If your son or daughter won't speak to you, please know there are other moms walking through this too. You do not have to carry the pain, confusion, and loneliness of family estrangement by yourself.

If you're feeling ready for support and want to learn more about working together, I invite you to start with a short application. From there, you'll receive next steps to book your Heart-to-Heart Consultation. Start here: https://www.sally-harris.com/H2Happ

BE A CALLER ON THE SALLY HARRIS SHOW email: [email protected]

EMPOWER MOM QUIZ: www.sally-harris.com/EmpowerMom

CONNECT WITH SALLY HARRIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/sallyharriscoach/

FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/coachsallyharris

WEBSITE | https://www.sally-harris.com

Your estranged adult child has asked for space. You don't want to chase them, beg for a relationship, or keep reaching out when they've made it clear they want distance. But what are you supposed to do in the meantime?

In this Q&A episode of The Sally Harris Show, I'm answering a mom who has experienced 18 years of hurt in her relationship with her adult daughter. After another painful conflict, her daughter decided to disengage from the relationship—and Mom is left wondering: Is there anything else I should do?

We'll talk about when it may be time to give your adult child space, whether and when to gently reach out again, and why this season cannot only be about waiting for your son or daughter to change.

Because Mom, this time matters.

Estrangement can become a season where you sit and replay every conversation, wonder what you did wrong, and wait for your adult child to come back. Or it can also become a season where you seek support, look honestly at your own growth, strengthen your relationship with God, and become healthier while trusting Him with what you cannot control.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What to do when your estranged adult child asks for space • Why repeatedly reaching out may not be the answer • Walking on eggshells and staying silent to avoid conflict • Taking accountability without accepting all the blame • When a gentle, no-pressure reach-out may be appropriate • Using the separation to work on your own healing and growth • Finding support and community during estrangement • Praying for your adult child while trusting God with the outcome

You cannot control when your adult child is ready to talk, what they believe about the relationship, or what they choose to do next. But you can decide what you will do with this time.

Don't waste it.

If you're a mom navigating estrangement, limited contact, difficult boundaries, or a painful relationship with your adult child, you don't have to walk through this season alone.

If you're feeling ready for support and want to learn more about working together, I invite you to start with a short application. From there, you'll receive next steps to book your Heart-to-Heart Consultation. Start here: https://www.sally-harris.com/H2Happ

BE A CALLER ON THE SALLY HARRIS SHOW email: [email protected]

EMPOWER MOM QUIZ: www.sally-harris.com/EmpowerMom

CONNECT WITH SALLY HARRIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/sallyharriscoach/

FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/coachsallyharris

WEBSITE | https://www.sally-harris.com

Will the pain of estrangement ever go away? If your adult child has stopped talking to you, cut off contact, or created distance in your relationship, you may wonder if you'll ever feel like yourself again.

In this episode, I'm talking about what healing from an estranged adult child actually looks like — and why healing doesn't mean you stop loving your child, missing them, praying for them, or hoping for reconciliation.

After walking through a 10-year estrangement with my own daughter and now helping thousands of moms navigate difficult and estranged relationships with their adult children, I know how consuming this pain can feel.

But the way you feel today is not necessarily the way you will always feel.

We'll talk about why waiting for reconciliation before allowing yourself to heal can keep you stuck, how the pain of estrangement changes over time, and what happened when my prayer shifted from "God, please make this pain go away" to asking God who He wanted me to become while I walked through it.

Healing is possible — even while you're still waiting.

💗 TAKE THE FREE EMPOWER MOM QUIZ If you're a mom struggling with an estranged or difficult relationship with your adult child, the Empower Mom Quiz can help you identify where you are in your healing journey and what your next step may be. 👉 Empower Mom Quiz:

www.sally-harris.com/EmpowerMom

If you're feeling ready for support and want to learn more about working together, I invite you to start with a short application. From there, you'll receive next steps to book your Heart-to-Heart Consultation. Start here: https://www.sally-harris.com/H2Happ

CONNECT WITH SALLY HARRIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/sallyharriscoach/

FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/coachsallyharris

WEBSITE | https://www.sally-harris.com

BE A CALLER ON THE SALLY HARRIS SHOW email: [email protected]

Your estranged adult child is talking to you again—but the walls are still up. What do you do now?

In this episode of The Sally Harris Show, I'm answering a mom whose daughter has started attending family gatherings again after a year of no contact. Her daughter is cordial, but distant. She gives short answers, talks mostly with her sibling, and doesn't seem ready to let Mom back in.

So how do you move forward when your adult child has reopened the door—but only a little?

One of the biggest mistakes we can make during early reconnection is trying to rush the relationship back to where it used to be. When you've spent months or years hoping your estranged son or daughter would come back, it's natural to look for signs of progress. But your adult child may be looking for signs of progress in you, too.

In this episode, we'll talk about:

• Why small steps after family estrangement still matter • How to respond when your adult child is cordial but emotionally distant • Why you shouldn't make every interaction a test of the relationship • How to stay warm without chasing connection • What to do when your child talks freely with other family members but barely speaks to you • Why rebuilding trust after estrangement can take time • How to give God room to work when you can't see what's happening

If your estranged adult child has recently reached out, started texting again, returned to family gatherings, or begun allowing limited contact, don't rush it.

Reconciliation rarely happens all at once. Sometimes the next faithful step is simply creating a different experience with you—one without pressure, desperation, punishment, or expectations.

A year ago, she wasn't coming. Today, she's in the room. Don't overlook what God may be doing because it doesn't look like the relationship you've been praying for yet.

If you're a mom struggling with an estranged or difficult relationship with your adult child and you need help knowing what your next step should be, I'd love to support you through coaching.

If you're feeling ready for support and want to learn more about working together, I invite you to start with a short application. From there, you'll receive next steps to book your Heart-to-Heart Consultation. Start here: https://www.sally-harris.com/H2Happ

BE A CALLER ON THE SALLY HARRIS SHOW email: [email protected]

EMPOWER MOM QUIZ: www.sally-harris.com/EmpowerMom

CONNECT WITH SALLY HARRIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/sallyharriscoach/

FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/coachsallyharris

WEBSITE | https://www.sally-harris.com

What if your estranged son or daughter came back tomorrow? Would you be ready?

When you're estranged from an adult child, it's easy to spend months or even years focused on one thing: reconciliation. You wait for the phone call. You hope for the text. You pray for the relationship to be restored.

But there's another question I believe every estranged mom needs to ask:

Who do I want to become before they come back?

During my own estrangement from my daughter, there came a point when I looked in the mirror and barely recognized the woman looking back at me. I had gained 70 pounds. I was leaning on alcohol to cope. I was depressed, disconnected, and had tied so much of my peace to whether or not my daughter wanted a relationship with me.

Something had to change — even if my relationship with her didn't.

In this episode, I'm sharing the shift that helped me stop trying to control reconciliation and start focusing on my own healing, my relationship with God, and the woman I was becoming in the waiting.

We'll talk about:

• Why waiting for your estranged child can slowly become your identity • The difference between giving up on reconciliation and choosing to live again • Why you cannot control when or whether your adult child reaches out • How to prepare emotionally for possible reconciliation • Healing from guilt, regret, rejection, and the pain of family estrangement • What it means to ask God to work in you — not only in your adult child • The question I ask the moms I coach: Who do you want to become before they come back?

You do not have to wait for the relationship to change before you begin changing your life.

If you're a mom struggling with an estranged daughter, estranged son, adult child who won't speak to you, no contact, limited contact, rejection, or a difficult relationship with your adult child, I hope this episode reminds you that there is meaningful work you can do in this season.

❤️ READY FOR YOUR NEXT STEP?

If you feel stuck and aren't sure what to do next, apply for a Heart-to-Heart Consultation with me. We'll talk honestly about where you are, what's weighing on you, and what your next best step could look like: https://www.sally-harris.com/H2Happ

🙏 And if this video encouraged you, subscribe and share it with another mom who needs this message today.

If you're feeling ready for support and want to learn more about working together, I invite you to start with a short application. From there, you'll receive next steps to book your Heart-to-Heart Consultation. Start here: https://www.sally-harris.com/H2Happ

BE A CALLER ON THE SALLY HARRIS SHOW email: [email protected]

EMPOWER MOM QUIZ: www.sally-harris.com/EmpowerMom

CONNECT WITH SALLY HARRIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/sallyharriscoach/

FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/coachsallyharris

WEBSITE | https://www.sally-harris.com

If your adult child won't talk to you and you're carrying guilt over the mistakes you made as a mom, this conversation is for you.

Adult child estrangement can leave a mother replaying the past over and over: What did I do wrong? Was this my fault? Should I have handled things differently? How do I apologize? And how do I forgive myself when my adult child still doesn't want a relationship with me?

In this episode of The Sally Harris Show, I sit down with a mom whose adult son barely speaks to her. She shares openly about the mistakes she made, the regret she still carries, and her desire to make amends with her estranged son—even though reconciliation has not happened yet.

We talk about the difficult difference between taking responsibility for your mistakes and living in guilt and shame because of them.

This mom recognizes choices she wishes she had made differently. She has apologized. She wants to rebuild trust. But she is also learning that she cannot force her adult son to reconcile before he is ready.

If you are a mom struggling with an estranged adult son or daughter, you may recognize yourself in her story.

Maybe your adult child stopped calling or texting. Maybe they rarely respond when you reach out. Maybe you have limited contact and you're afraid of losing even that. Or maybe you know you made mistakes in the relationship and you can't stop wondering whether those mistakes caused the estrangement.

One of the most powerful things this mom shares is:

"I can say I'm sorry all day long, but I need to make amends."

There is an important difference between acknowledging what you did wrong and believing you must punish yourself forever because of it.

You can take responsibility. You can make changes. You can become a healthier mom. And you can continue healing even while you wait to see what happens in the relationship.

If you're searching for help because your adult child won't talk to you, you're dealing with estrangement from your adult son or daughter, or you can't seem to forgive yourself for your parenting mistakes, I hope this mom's vulnerable story helps you feel less alone and gives you something to think about in your own healing.

If you are a mom navigating adult child estrangement, no contact, limited contact, rejection, boundaries, or a difficult relationship with your adult child, you don't have to figure out your next steps alone.

Learn more about Sally Harris Coaching and support for moms of estranged adult children at www.sally-harris.com.

If you'd like to share your story on The Sally Harris Show, email [email protected].

Subscribe for more conversations about estranged adult children, mother and adult child relationships, parent-child estrangement, reconciliation, boundaries, forgiveness, faith, healing, and learning how to move forward when your adult child pulls away.

Healing is possible, people can change, and God is still at work even when you can't see it.

If you're feeling ready for support and want to learn more about working together, I invite you to start with a short application. From there, you'll receive next steps to book your Heart-to-Heart Consultation. Start here: https://www.sally-harris.com/H2Happ

BE A CALLER ON THE SALLY HARRIS SHOW email: [email protected]

EMPOWER MOM QUIZ: www.sally-harris.com/EmpowerMom

CONNECT WITH SALLY HARRIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/sallyharriscoach/

FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/coachsallyharris

WEBSITE | https://www.sally-harris.com

If you're estranged from your adult child—or walking through a difficult relationship with them—you may feel like you're constantly trying to say the right thing, do the right thing, and somehow fix what's broken.

I know that feeling.

For years, I held tightly to the outcome I wanted with my daughter. I replayed conversations, rehearsed what I would say, prayed the same prayers, and wondered what else I could possibly do.

Until I reached a moment when I realized:

I can't fix this. I have to let go.

And surprisingly, letting go wasn't the end of hope. It was the beginning of something new in me.

In this episode, I'm sharing 4 things that can begin to happen when you stop trying to control the outcome and start releasing what was never yours to carry alone.

Letting go doesn't mean you don't love your child. It doesn't mean you've stopped hoping. And it certainly doesn't mean God has stopped working.

Sometimes open hands are exactly where a new kind of healing begins.

❤️ Ready for support in your specific situation?

My Heart-to-Heart Consultation is a private 30-minute conversation where we'll talk about where you are, what you've been carrying, and what your next right step might be. This is not a coaching session—it's an opportunity for us to determine what kind of coaching support may be the best fit for you.

👉 Schedule your Heart-to-Heart Consultation here: https://www.sally-harris.com/H2Happ

If you're a mom navigating estrangement, limited contact, difficult boundaries, disrespect, or a painful relationship with your adult child, subscribe and join me here each week.

Healing is possible. People can change. And God is still at work—even when you can't see it.

BE A CALLER ON THE SALLY HARRIS SHOW email: [email protected]

EMPOWER MOM QUIZ: www.sally-harris.com/EmpowerMom

CONNECT WITH SALLY HARRIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/sallyharriscoach/

FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/coachsallyharris

WEBSITE | https://www.sally-harris.com

What if holding onto hope for your estranged adult child is actually making the pain worse?

In today's Q&A episode of The Sally Harris Show, a mom asks a question I know many of you have wrestled with: "I've decided not to have hope anymore. Having hope keeps the hurt stirred up—and letting go of it is working for me. Thoughts?"

There is a difference between living your life while trusting God and putting your life on hold waiting for your adult child to come back.

In this episode, we talk about what healthy hope can look like during estrangement, why surrender does not mean you've stopped caring, and how you can keep moving forward without simply "moving on."

We'll also talk about the reality that reconciliation takes two people. You can work on your heart, your healing, your faith, and your growth—but you cannot control another person's choices.

And while you may not know what tomorrow holds, you don't have to feel guilty for experiencing peace today.

If you're a mom navigating estrangement or a difficult relationship with your adult child and you're ready for support, I'd love to meet you.

❤️ Schedule a Heart-to-Heart Consultation with me: https://www.sally-harris.com/H2Happ

BE A CALLER ON THE SALLY HARRIS SHOW email: [email protected]

EMPOWER MOM QUIZ: www.sally-harris.com/EmpowerMom

CONNECT WITH SALLY HARRIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/sallyharriscoach/

FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/coachsallyharris

WEBSITE | https://www.sally-harris.com

What happens when your adult child comes back… but the words they say still leave you questioning yourself?

After years of estrangement, my daughter and I were rebuilding our relationship when she said four words I'll never forget:

"You were too needy."

She wasn't angry. She wasn't attacking me. She was simply telling me how she had experienced me during a season of our relationship.

But those four words stayed with me.

I began second-guessing texts, phone calls, conversations—even good days together. Instead of simply enjoying the gift of reconciliation, I found myself afraid of doing something that might cause me to lose her again.

In this episode of The Sally Harris Show, I'm sharing what I eventually discovered about those words, the difference one little word—"were"—made, and how God has changed the way I see myself today.

If you've been walking on eggshells, replaying conversations, or allowing something your adult child said to make you question your worth, this episode is for you.

❤️ READY FOR YOUR NEXT STEP?

If you're tired of trying to figure this out on your own and you're ready to raise your hand and say, "I need some help," I invite you to apply for a Heart-to-Heart Consultation.

This private 30-minute call is for moms who are ready to explore coaching and determine what kind of support could help them make meaningful progress in their relationship and in their own healing.

👉 Apply for your Heart-to-Heart Consultation: https://www.sally-harris.com/H2Happ

BE A CALLER ON THE SALLY HARRIS SHOW email: [email protected]

EMPOWER MOM QUIZ: www.sally-harris.com/EmpowerMom

CONNECT WITH SALLY HARRIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/sallyharriscoach/

FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/coachsallyharris

WEBSITE | https://www.sally-harris.com

What happens when you stop reacting to your adult daughter's emotional highs and lows?

In this episode of The Sally Harris Show, I sit down with a mom who spent years trying to understand what went wrong in a once-close relationship with her daughter. She questioned herself, tried different approaches, wrote letters, and searched for answers—but the relationship continued to feel unpredictable and emotionally exhausting.

Then something began to change.

Instead of trying to change her daughter, she started changing how she responded. She became more consistent with boundaries, stopped engaging with hurtful behavior, focused on what she could control, and began taking care of herself again. Over time, she noticed something surprising: the relationship started becoming calmer.

We talk about what it means to get off the emotional "roller coaster," why boundaries require consistency, the difference between supporting and enabling an adult child, and how healing can begin even when your child hasn't changed in all the ways you hoped.

If you're a mom navigating estrangement, emotional distance, or a difficult relationship with an adult child, I hope this conversation reminds you that you can love your child deeply without participating in every emotional spike.

If you're feeling ready for support and want to learn more about working together, I invite you to start with a short application. From there, you'll receive next steps to book your Heart-to-Heart Consultation. Start here: https://www.sally-harris.com/H2Happ

BE A CALLER ON THE SALLY HARRIS SHOW email: [email protected]

EMPOWER MOM QUIZ: www.sally-harris.com/EmpowerMom

CONNECT WITH SALLY HARRIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/sallyharriscoach/

FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/coachsallyharris

WEBSITE | https://www.sally-harris.com