Home→Forums→Relationships→When family dynamics you grew up with become unacceptable in adulthood
- This topic has 143 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 4 days, 2 hours ago by
Alessa.
-
AuthorPosts
-
September 2, 2026 at 5:34 pm #460786
NeaParticipantGood evening Anita!
No, I really appreciate it 🤍 And honestly, we can still talk about it and analyze things — I don’t mind that at all. I think what I meant was more that I feel like I’ve spent such a big part of my life trying to understand everything and make sense of it, and now I’m reaching this point where I also have to learn how to accept what I already know.
The more I’ve started seeing certain patterns in different things, the more surprising some of it has been. And I think now I’m just trying to figure out how I want to live around it without constantly thinking ten steps ahead.
Right now, with all of us living the way we are, it honestly feels like I’m mostly just in my room with the baby, trying to stay in my little bubble and focus on her. I’m really trying not to think too much about future events, relationships, what things will look like later, etc., because I think that’s probably the only way I can actually enjoy this time.
I am still a little upset because my dad is continuing to expect quite a bit from me and saying things along the lines of, if I want him to have closeness with his daughter and granddaughter, then I also have to put in effort. And part of me is sitting there thinking… we literally live together right now. You can come see her whenever you want. Nobody is stopping you. But that isn’t really happening.
And then I keep finding out little bits of new information — like that they’re still discussing my husband, or this situation, or that situation — and it leaves me feeling so confused because part of me just wants to say, you guys really need to move on. At some point, how long can everyone keep dissecting the same things?
So for me right now, it really is about staying in my bubble. Some of my friends want to come meet the baby, and even with that I honestly feel like I’d rather wait until we’re back in our own place and have people over there. I think I’m craving that feeling of having my own space again.
For now I’m just trying to recover, slowly start doing a few more things outside of the house, and get some fresh air. I’ve noticed even doing that feels really energizing and reminds me there’s a whole world outside of everything happening inside this house.
And I loved reading about your afternoon. Two beagles asleep on your lap, the leaves moving in the wind, and that early-fall feeling sounds so peaceful 🍁🍂
I’m sorry you’re missing more in-person human connection today, though. Do you have people nearby that you’re able to see or spend time with sometimes? 🤍
Nea
September 2, 2026 at 7:29 pm #460790
anitaParticipantGood Wed Evening, Nea 🙂
Sincerely, talking with you this evening is making me smile. I find our conversation meaningful and I’m not feeling alone right now.
My social life was wonderful, thrilling, really- since 2017 and then even more so, since Oct 2021. For 4 evenings per week, or more, I socialized, some the same people I saw frequently, and some néw people. It was lovely!
Things have changed since 2 places of business that I frequented and one where I worked every day (without pay, long story) closed.
My current social life is at the dog park 🐕🐕🐕 and there were a few outdoors music events where I 💃 (although not in a red dress, ha-ha). The last 2 events were truly lovely. Next event, and maybe last till next spring or summer, is in 10 days or so.
Back to what we are talking about, I was afraid that having mentioned personality disorders may have been too much. I’m glad you’re still open to some analysis.
I analyze, therefore, I am 😁
“They’re still discussing my husband”- the term triangulation comes to mind: your father is not confronting your husband directly at this time. He’s confronting him indirectly by trying to turn people against him.
“There’s a whole world outside of everything happening inside this house”-
And I think that that’s where you belong, in that Whole Outside World (WOW 🙂)
🌿✨️🌿 Anita
September 4, 2026 at 6:09 am #460801
AlessaParticipantHi Nea
Thinking of you and your beautiful family! How are you doing? How is baby Maya? 🩵
Bless your soul! They really are so tiny and precious at that age. 🩵
It sounds like she hasn’t figured out when day and night is yet. She’ll get there soon enough. 😊
I think you’re doing the right thing keeping to yourselves. It has been ridiculous, the way your husband has been treat. I’m so sorry for all the stress your family have created in this time, which should be really happy and full of love.
You are protecting your peace and more than capable of giving your daughter that love. 🩵
I’m doing okay. I got a good score on my last test, still working away on the next one. My son had a rough day on Tuesday. He woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I’m glad he’s feeling better now. I think he might have been coming down with something. He starts nursery this month, so that’s exciting. Trying to prepare for that, it’s going to be so weird him being somewhere else. 🩵
September 5, 2026 at 11:50 pm #460835
NeaParticipantHi Anita!
I really enjoyed reading about your social life, especially how full and exciting it was for so many years. Four evenings a week or more is quite the social life! And I’m sorry to hear that those places closed, especially when they had become such a regular part of your life and one of them was somewhere you were going every day.
I’m glad you still have the dog park and the outdoor music events though. The dancing part made me smile! 😊 It sounds like those last two events were really lovely, and hopefully you get to enjoy the next one too before the season ends.
Also, sorry for the late reply. These days the sleep deprivation has been really bad with the little one cluster feeding, so I’m up for most of the night. It’s a lot some days, but I keep reminding myself that it’s temporary and she is going to grow up so fast. I know one day I’ll probably look back and wonder where this tiny newborn stage went.
And triangulation is actually a very true observation. I hadn’t really put that word to it, but the way you described it makes a lot of sense. My dad isn’t really confronting my husband directly anymore, but the feelings are still very much there and come out indirectly through other people.
Lately, he also has barely acknowledged my baby at all, which I find really sad. He does work very late, but even when he is home or on the weekends, he doesn’t really bother much with her. He has indirectly said things to my mom about it being because she is “so small,” but I also think having my husband here again and simply having to coexist with him is too much for my dad, I suppose. It’s sad that all of these feelings are spilling over into what should otherwise be such a happy time.
But we are moving soon!! Actually, early October now, so the “Whole Outside World” is getting much closer! I think getting back into our own space and having some physical distance from everything happening inside this house is going to be really good for all of us.
Nea
September 6, 2026 at 12:13 am #460836
NeaParticipantHi Roberta,
Thank you so much. 😊
We don’t have a naming ceremony in our culture. My husband and I have always been really fond of that name. I love names that are sweet and short, and for this one in particular, we wanted something to reflect Western and South Asian culture as that will be the environment she is raised in.
Hope you had a wonderful day!
Nea
September 6, 2026 at 10:25 am #460840
anitaParticipantGood Sunday morning, Nea 😊
The smile emoji above, and the one on my face right now is about “But we are moving soon!!”!
“Lately, he also has barely acknowledged my baby at all, which I find really sad… he doesn’t really bother much with her. He has indirectly said things to my mom about it being because she is ‘so small,'”-
I know he didn’t mean it as criticism of your baby daughter being ‘too small’ for him to attend to.. but it may be his beginning criticism of her. I’ll write more in a moment.
Anita
September 6, 2026 at 10:54 am #460841
anitaParticipantContinued:
Well, I don’t “know” that he didn’t mean “so small” as criticism. I assume he didn’t because of how ridiculous it would be if he did.
But him criticizing his grandaughter would be in line with him externalizing his feelings/ his discomfort-
Placing the responsibility for it in someone else’s hands, as in: I feel uncomfortable acknowledging her- not because I’m angry at her dad, or because I feel this or that-
But because SHE is too small.
I hope that the sleep deprivation lessens for you 🙏
Thank you for your kind acknoledgment at the beginning of your message. Next Sat music event is dependent on whether it rains or not. Yesterday afternoon there was thunder and rain!
Good to read from you again, Nea!
🌿 Anita
September 6, 2026 at 12:20 pm #460843
RobertaParticipantHi Nea
I am so glad that you will be back in your own home in the very near future. That should make you & your husbands live a lot less stressful. Is it close enough for your mum & sister to be able to visit you easily?
In general I have found men much more reluctant to pick up & hold very small babies – they are worried that they might hold them too tightly or wrong or worse still drop them . One technique is when the man is sitting down, just hand the baby over & say something like “Hold ….. I am just going to make a cup of tea” & then walk out of the room. I dont know whether that technique would be acceptable in your culture.
RobertaSeptember 7, 2026 at 5:22 pm #460869
AlessaParticipantHi Nea
Sorry to hear about the sleep deprivation. Cluster feeding is not easy! And the waking through the night to feed is hard. You’re doing a really good job though. Great to hear you’ll be moving soon. 🩵
I have this family friend, who is like a father to me. When he had his own children, in our culture it was expected for his wife to handle everything to do with the kids. Being more involved was seen as woman’s work and questioned their masculinity. Times are changing thankfully. 🩵
Because he was not really involved with his own kids, he was afraid to hold my son when he was younger and expressed concern that he might drop him. I even tried reassuring him that it’s just like holding a rugby ball, you’ll be fine. 😂 He did become more confident with holding him as he grew through and seemed less fragile.
Hopefully, things will get easier with your family once you’ve moved. 🙏
-
AuthorPosts
