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Estrangement between parents and adult children can happen for many reasons — parents who object to their children’s lifestyle choices and relationships or children reacting to abuse, toxic behaviors, or lack of support, and other causes.
It doesn’t have to last forever, though. The Quick and Dirty Tips website offers this guidance on how to repair the rift:
Acknowledge and apologize for past actions. You can’t change what’s in the past, but you can be open to the future.
Even if you believe you never did anything wrong, be willing to admit you might have made mistakes. That can go a long way toward easing hurt feelings.
Accept family members for who they are. Accept that people are imperfect. You won’t be able to magically transform a parent or child into the person you want them to be.
That doesn’t mean tolerating abusive behavior, but it can lead to an open and honest conversation about the other person’s perspective.
Use this knowledge and insight to move forward, if you feel the effort is worth it.
Try to change your behavior. You may not be aware that you’re harming someone else with your actions, but once you know, you can take steps to stop.
Find out what the other person finds difficult, and whenever possible, try to limit the behavior around him or her. You don’t have to change who you are, but you can adjust your reactions to something the other person can live with.