Parent-child relationships can be stormy seas. This week, a mother named Gwyneth writes to us, heartbroken and lost. Her daughter, Emily, is pulling away, fueled by a new relationship and teenage rebellion.
Gwyneth, in a desperate attempt to maintain the connection, threatened to withhold Emily’s college fund. Now, facing the potential loss of her daughter and wracked with guilt, she asks: “Am I the devil?
From: GwynethSubject: I Used Her College Fund as Leverage. Am I the Devil?Summary: A few months ago, my daughter started dating a guy, and her attitude has changed. She’s become distant and dismissive of me, saying I treat her like a child. During a heated argument, she even told me she plans to cut me off once she leaves for college. I let her know that if she goes no-contact, I will have to take her college fund back.My world is crumbling around me. My own flesh and blood, my daughter Emily (18F), is threatening to cut me (55F) out of her life. I dedicated my life to her, sacrificed everything, and now this?It all started a few months ago. Recently, she started dating an older guy. Trouble written all over him, and he has already been arrested twice. Ever since they got together, she became a different person. Snappy, disrespectful, constantly accusing me of “smothering” her. Smothering? I haven’t even begun to tell you about the nights I spent awake worrying when she was late coming home, or the endless hours I put in at my second job just to afford those dance classes she begged for!
