Nearly one in four adult children are estranged from at least one parent—a trend that’s becoming increasingly common, yet rarely discussed.
In this episode of Coparenting Beyond Conflict, Sol sits down with parenting expert Catherine Hickem, founder of Parenting Adult Children Today and author of It’s Never Too Late to Be a Great Parent. Together they explore why parent-child relationships break down in adulthood, how divorce impacts family relationships across generations, and what parents can do now to build lasting trust with their children.
Whether you’re raising young children, navigating a divorce, or supporting an adult child through one, this conversation offers practical guidance for creating stronger family relationships that endure through life’s biggest transitions.
Learn more about Catherine Hickem: https://www.parentingadultchildrentoday.com/
Get Catherine's book, It’s Never Too Late to Be a Great Parent: https://www.amazon.com/Its-Never-Late-Great-Parent/dp/197179502X
Get the BestInterest Coparenting App: https://bestinterest.app/
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/H8pqZswdibE
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Keywords
adult child estrangement, parent-child relationships, parenting adult children, divorce and adult children, family estrangement, co-parenting, high-conflict divorce, grandparents and divorce, family communication, healthy boundaries, unconditional love, relationship repair, emotional safety, parenting after divorce, family healing
Key Takeaways
- Why adult-child estrangement is becoming so common
- The parenting mistakes that unintentionally push adult children away
- How divorce affects relationships across multiple generations
- What adult children really need from their parents during a divorce
- How grandparents can provide support without making conflict worse
- Why honesty, curiosity, and respect matter more than taking sides
- The “Four Pillars” of healthy relationships with adult children
- How unconditional love creates lifelong trust
Chapter Highlights
00:00 Introduction
01:40 The growing epidemic of parent-child estrangement
04:10 The most common reasons adult children cut off parents
08:20 Catherine’s own divorce and what it taught her about parenting
11:55 What adult children need from their parents during divorce
14:55 How grandparents can best support a child going through divorce
19:20 When your adult child asks you to cut off their ex
25:05 The transition from parenting children to parenting adults
25:30 The Four Pillars of healthy relationships with adult children
31:55 How parents can become a safe harbor instead of a source of judgment
33:40 Where to learn more from Catherine Hickem
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What if your co-parent’s toxic messages never even reached you? Thousands of parents are already finding peace with the BestInterest Coparenting App. As a listener, you can too. Claim 40% off an annual subscription here: https://bestinterest.app/beyond
