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Welcome to the
Mother-Daughter Relationship.
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Show the podcast for mothers and
daughters who want to build stronger
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bonds, deepen their understanding
and transform their relationships.
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I'm your host, Brittany
Scott, licensed therapist and
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mother-daughter relationship coach.
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After years of working
with hundreds of daughters.
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And mothers.
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I've developed strategies that
help break generational patterns,
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heal wounds, and create the loving
relationships you've always wanted.
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Each week I'll be sharing insights from
real clients, expert interviews and
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practical tools you can use immediately
to improve your mother-daughter dynamic.
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Whether you're struggling with
communication breakdowns, navigating
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major life transitions, or simply
wanna take your already good
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relationship to the next level.
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The show is for you.
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And yes, the transformation I guide
my clients through can be yours too.
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I'll share more about
how you can work with me.
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It's time to experience the
relationship you both deserve.
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Are you ready?
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Let's dive in.
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Hi, welcome back to the
Mother-Daughter Relationship Show.
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I'm your host, Brittany Scott,
a licensed therapist and
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mother-daughter relationship coach.
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Before we dive into today's
episode, I wanna share something
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really exciting with you.
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I just launched my first digital
product and I'm really proud of it.
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It is called Break the Cycle Healing
Painful Mother-Daughter Dynamics,
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and it's a comprehensive therapeutic
workbook I created specifically for women
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navigating complicated relationships
with their mothers or daughters.
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Over the years in my practice,
I kept hearing many of the
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same things from clients.
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I love my mom, but.
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Being around her drains me.
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I feel guilty every time I set a boundary.
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I'm terrified.
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I'm going to do the same thing to
my daughter that my mom did to me.
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And I realized there wasn't a
simple resource out there that
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addressed the unique complexities
of mother-daughter relationships in
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a trauma-informed, practical way.
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So I created one break.
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The cycle is a six part journey
that takes you from understanding
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why these relationships can be hard
or difficult, all the way through
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creating sustainable transformations.
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It includes fillable worksheets,
assessment tools, how to see
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what behaviors may have been
passed down in your family.
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Boundary setting scripts and strategies
that work, whether your mother
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participates in the healing process
or not, it's fully interactive.
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There's journaling prompts.
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There's things for you to think about
and there's like dropdown lists and
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things for you to kind of fill in and
fill out to address your own wounds
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and your own healing and have a place
to store all the information you can
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grab the Break the Cycle workbook at.
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Break the cycle dot
Brittany and scott.com.
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I'll leave the link in the show
notes, of course, and it's $37.
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It's an instant download, but also you
will get access to an online portal
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so you can see some videos from me
that I have created and left for you.
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But if you just wanna take the
book and go, you absolutely can.
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You will get the links to download it.
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But you can start healing
within like five minutes.
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So I'm really excited.
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Just wanted to share what I created
and let you know that it is available
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if it's something that interests you.
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Alright, let's dive into today's episode.
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I saw a story on social media recently
that absolutely broke my heart.
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A daughter was getting married
and it should have been the
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happiest day of her life.
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Well, one of them, we have many of them,
but one of the happiest days of her life,
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a day where she's celebrated, surrounded
by love and starting a new chapter.
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But her mother couldn't let
her have that at the wedding.
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Her mother was bringing up her
other daughter who had died.
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She needed everyone to recognize
her grief, to acknowledge her loss,
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to send her her pain, basically on
her living daughter's wedding day,
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instead of celebrating her daughter
who was standing right there, getting
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married, trying to have her moment.
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Her mother made it about herself.
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I can't imagine how painful
that must have been for her
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daughter to have that one day.
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That should have been all about
her, turned into a stage for her.
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Mother's need for attention and control,
this is what we're talking about today.
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Mother-daughter, conflict in public in
front of others because public conflict
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hits differently than private conflict.
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It's not just about what was said or
done, it's about who witnessed it.
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It's about shame, embarrassment,
and exposure for daughters, it often
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confirms that their mother will
prioritize her own needs over her
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daughters, even in the moment that
should have belonged to the daughter.
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Today we're gonna talk about the
different ways public conflict shows
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up, why it's so damaging, what to do
in the moment, when it's happening, and
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how to protect yourself moving forward.
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This episode is primarily for daughters,
but if you're a mother listening and
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you recognize yourself in some of
these patterns, I want you to stay.
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There's healing here for you too.
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So let's dive in.
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Let's talk about why conflict in front
of others is so much more damaging
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than conflict behind closed doors.
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When your mother criticizes you, dismisses
you, or violates your boundaries.
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In private, it hurts of,
you know, of course it does.
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But when she does it in front of other
people, it exposes you and your pain.
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It puts your pain, the dysfunction,
and your family wounds on
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display for others to see.
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And for daughters who have spent years
trying to manage their mother's behavior,
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trying to keep the peace, maybe trying to
make everything look okay on the outside.
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Public conflict, shatters that
illusion, everyone sees it.
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Now, the family members who always
said, your mom is so great, or you
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only get one mom like they see this.
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The friends who don't fully understand
why you keep your distance or.
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Fully understand the dynamics of
your relationship with your mom.
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They witness it.
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Your partner who may finally get to
see what you've been trying to explain
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for so long, they get to witness it.
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Public conflict can also
carry a deep sense of shame.
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Not shame about you or what you
did as a daughter, but shame
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about what's being done to you.
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Shame about being treated this
way in front of other people.
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Shame about not knowing how to stop it.
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Shame about your relationship
being this broken.
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When conflict happens in public, you
can't just process it and move on.
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You have to manage other
people's reactions too.
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You have to see the
look on people's faces.
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You have to field the,
are you okay questions.
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you have to deal with people
who wanna mediate or take sides,
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or even pretend they didn't see
it and looked the other way.
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Public conflict can also include an
element of control, when a mother
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creates conflict in front of others,
she's often doing it because she knows
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you are less likely to set a boundary or
call her out when there's an audience.
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When public conflict becomes
a pattern, trust erodes.
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You stop feeling safer around your
mother, especially in public settings.
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You start avoiding gatherings.
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You make excuses not to come to
family events because you're terrified
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of what she might say or do, or
you just don't wanna deal with it.
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You might develop anticipatory anxiety.
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Even before an event happens, you're
already anxious, already bracing yourself
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for conflict, already planning your
escape routes, and the relationship
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fundamentally changes when someone
repeatedly humiliates you in front of
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others, it's hard to maintain closeness.
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It's hard to trust them and it's
hard to be around them at all.
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Let me normalize something for you.
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Let me normalize a few things for you
actually, if you feel anxious before
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family gatherings because you're
anticipating conflict with your mother.
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That's normal.
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That's a normal response.
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That anxiety is your body remembering what
happened before and trying to protect you.
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If you feel embarrassed or ashamed
after public conflict, that's
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also a normal response too,
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and if you're starting to
wonder whether attending family
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events is even worth it anymore.
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That's also a completely
reasonable response to being
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repeatedly publicly humiliated.
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Your feelings are valid.
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The fear is real, and your mom's behavior,
that's not normal and that's not okay.
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I.
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Now let's talk about the specific
ways public conflict shows up in
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mother-daughter relationships.
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I'm gonna walk you through four
common scenarios and I want you to
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see if you recognize your mother
or yourself in any of these.
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Scenario one.
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We started with the wedding
story, but this pattern shows
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up in all kinds of celebrations.
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Your graduation, your promotion, your
baby shower, your birthday moments.
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That should be about you.
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But your mother finds a
way to center herself.
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Maybe she dominates the conversations
with stories about herself.
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Maybe she brings up her own struggles
or tragedies to shift focus.
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Maybe she criticizes something about
the event in front of everyone.
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Your dress, your choice of venue, how
you're doing things, et cetera, et cetera.
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Maybe she creates drama that
requires everyone's attention.
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The common thread here is that on a
day that should celebrate you, she
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needs to be the center of attention.
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These are milestone moments,
and that makes these scenarios
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particularly painful.
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You only get one shot at a wedding day.
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You know, nobody redoes a wedding day.
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That's impossible.
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They're expensive.
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You graduate one time.
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There's one ceremony.
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You have one first baby shower
for that first baby that comes.
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It happens once.
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And instead of these memories
being about joy and celebration,
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they're marked by your mother's
need for control and attention and.
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Scenario two, criticizing you in
front of your partner or friends.
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And this one is incredibly
common and also deeply damaging.
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Your mother criticizes your
parenting in front of your partner.
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She makes comments about your
weight or your appearance or your
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choices in front of your friends.
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She tells embarrassing stories about
you that you've asked her not to share.
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She contradicts you or corrects
you in front of people trying
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to treat you like a child.
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This undermines you.
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It can signal to people in your
life that you're not capable, not
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worthy of respect, not an adult
who makes good decisions and that.
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Maybe your mom knows best.
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On the flip side, this puts
your partner or friends in an
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incredibly awkward position.
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Do they defend you?
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Do they stay quiet?
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Do they laugh it off?
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Do they pretend they didn't
hear it or notice it?
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What are they supposed
to do in this situation?
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I hope they protect you or stand
up for you or defend you, but
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really the situation is awkward.
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Some people won't know
what to do with that.
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For daughters, it can be humiliating.
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You're trying to be
seen as a capable adult.
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You are a capable adult.
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You're trying to make your own
life decisions, and your mother is
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actively working to undermine that
image in front of other people whose
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opinions probably matter most to you.
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Scenario three, sharing
your private information.
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The scenario is about boundary violations.
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You tell your mother
something in confidence.
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Maybe you're struggling financially,
maybe you're having relationship problems.
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Maybe you're dealing with health issues,
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and then she shares it.
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With the whole family without
your permission or with all of her
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friends, without your permission.
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Or maybe you didn't even tell her.
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She just knows things about your
life and decides everyone knows.
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Should know it too.
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Did you hear that my daughter is
having trouble getting pregnant?
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Oh, my daughter and her
husband are in counseling.
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My daughter got fired from her job.
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Can you believe it?
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Like these are your private struggles,
your private life, and they become
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public knowledge because your mother
couldn't keep your confidence.
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Sometimes mothers do this out of concern.
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They're worried about you and they're
looking for support or advice from others.
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Like, they go to their friends
and they wanna share because they
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want support from somebody else.
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And I get it.
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I, I get it, kind of, but it doesn't
really matter why she does it.
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The impact is the same.
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Your privacy is violated,
your trust is broken.
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And now you're dealing with other
people knowing things about you
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that you didn't choose to share.
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So whether she was seeking support
or not, whether I understand it
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or not, it doesn't really change
the impact that it has on you.
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And it doesn't change the fact
that this isn't okay if you
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don't want this stuff shared.
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If you didn't give her the permission,
then she doesn't get to share this
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with everyone else, except you probably
have a mother who does it anyway.
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And this damages the relationship.
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You can't trust her.
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And so you stop sharing
information with her.
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And also you ask other people to stop
sharing information with her, and that
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can be really difficult to manage.
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Scenario four, undermining you in front
of your children, and this one might be
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the most painful because it doesn't just
affect you, it also affects your kids.
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You set a rule for your children and your
mother contradicts it in front of them.
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Oh, one more cookie won't hurt.
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You don't have to listen
to your mom about that.
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Your mom is just being too
strict or she criticizes your
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parenting in front of your kids.
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I never would've let
you talk to me that way.
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You're just spoiling them.
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When you were little, I
did things differently.
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It's like, okay, mom.
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Got it.
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But what this does is undermine
your authority as a parent.
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It tells your children that your
rules don't matter, that your mother
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knows better than you, that they can
go to grandma and get around your
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boundaries and get what they want.
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And it puts you in this
impossible position.
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Do you confront your mother
in front of your kids?
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Do you engage in this and start an
argument and maybe let it escalate?
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Do you let it go and just
address it later in private?
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Do you enforce your rule and look like
the bad guy in front of your kids?
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Which one feels better also,
maybe you do all three, but on
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different occasions, I don't know.
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I do hope that you enforce your rule
and just be the bad guy for your
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kids, even if they don't like it.
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I mean, that would be my hope.
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But managing these things can be really
hard and also really frustrating.
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All of these scenarios
have two things in common.
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They're about power and control.
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Your mother is asserting her dominance,
her importance, her right to be
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centered at your expense, and she's
doing it in front of others because
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the audience gives her more power and
makes it harder for you to push back.
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I.
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So why, why, why would a mother do this?
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Usually it comes down to two
things, control or attention.
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Some mothers need to maintain
control over their daughters even
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when their daughters are adults.
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Public conflict is a way to of
reasserting that control of reminding
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you that she still has power over you.
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Other mothers need attention.
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Constant validation,
constant focus on them.
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And when something threatens to
take that attention away, like your
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wedding, your success, your life,
your new baby, you get the idea.
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They create conflict to redirect,
focus back to themselves.
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And sometimes it's both.
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They want control and attention.
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Most of the time though,
it's not about you.
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It's about her, her unmet needs,
her insecurities, her inability
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to let you be separate from her.
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But even though it's about her, you
are the one dealing with all of the
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consequences and that it's not fair.
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That's infuriating.
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I, so what do you actually do when
public conflict is happening right now?
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When your mother's creating a scene,
violating your boundaries, or criticizing
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you in front of others, the single most
important strategy is don't engage.
301
:
00:14:58
I know every instinct in your body
wants to probably defend yourself,
302
:
00:15:02
explain yourself or shut her down.
303
:
00:15:04
But engaging almost always makes it worse.
304
:
00:15:07
When you respond, you
give her what she wants.
305
:
00:15:10
Your attention, your reaction,
the conflict continuing.
306
:
00:15:14
So what does not engaging
actually look like?
307
:
00:15:17
Don't respond to her.
308
:
00:15:19
Don't defend yourself.
309
:
00:15:20
Don't argue with her.
310
:
00:15:22
Don't try to correct her or explain
your side when it comes to her.
311
:
00:15:27
Just really don't say anything.
312
:
00:15:29
And I know this might feel
impossible because you want to say
313
:
00:15:33
something or you want to stop her.
314
:
00:15:35
Or even the scenario I gave
in the beginning where.
315
:
00:15:38
You don't want to maybe look weak or,
316
:
00:15:41
or like you can't defend yourself
and so you don't say anything.
317
:
00:15:44
And that gives her more
validation that maybe she's right.
318
:
00:15:47
Like all of this can be so
difficult and the emotions that
319
:
00:15:50
come with it can be really hard.
320
:
00:15:52
But when you engage it just, I'm willing
to bet things continue to escalate.
321
:
00:15:57
If you stay silent, it may feel like she
wins, but silence is actually your power.
322
:
00:16:03
It takes away any fuel, anything you
add to it's fuel for her to keep going.
323
:
00:16:08
If you remove that and remove any
responses, you take more power back.
324
:
00:16:14
If you feel like you have to say
something, maybe because other people are
325
:
00:16:17
watching and waiting for you to respond,
I want you to keep it simple and firm.
326
:
00:16:22
This is not appropriate right now,
and I will not engage with you.
327
:
00:16:25
That's it.
328
:
00:16:26
You're not explaining, you're not
justifying, you're not inviting.
329
:
00:16:29
Further conversation.
330
:
00:16:30
You're stating a boundary and
walking away from the conflict,
331
:
00:16:34
and I will not engage with you.
332
:
00:16:36
You are removing yourself from this.
333
:
00:16:37
She can talk to herself.
334
:
00:16:39
Also, I want you to maybe talk
to other people and not her.
335
:
00:16:42
If you're at a gathering and
you can redirect your attention
336
:
00:16:45
to other people, do that.
337
:
00:16:46
Turn to someone else and
start a conversation.
338
:
00:16:49
Move to a different room.
339
:
00:16:50
Physically distance
yourself from your mother.
340
:
00:16:53
This does two things.
341
:
00:16:55
It remove you from the conflict and
it signals to others that you're
342
:
00:16:58
not participating in whatever
drama she's trying to create.
343
:
00:17:01
If you can leave, I'd recommend leaving.
344
:
00:17:04
If the situation allows
for it, don't stay in it.
345
:
00:17:07
Go if you can.
346
:
00:17:09
You don't owe anyone an explanation.
347
:
00:17:11
You don't have to stay somewhere
you're being disrespected or
348
:
00:17:13
humiliated, excuse yourself.
349
:
00:17:15
Go to the bathroom, step outside,
or just leave the event entirely.
350
:
00:17:19
Your wellbeing is so much more important
than keeping the peace or making
351
:
00:17:23
other people comfortable around you.
352
:
00:17:25
Now if the conflict involves your
children, if your mother is undermining
353
:
00:17:28
you in front of them or contradicting
your rules, you have to address it
354
:
00:17:31
directly with your kids, even if you
don't address it with her in the moment.
355
:
00:17:35
Take your children aside, away
from your mother and talk to them.
356
:
00:17:39
It can sound like, I know Grandma
said you could have another cookie,
357
:
00:17:43
but I'm your mom and I set the rules.
358
:
00:17:45
The answer is still no or.
359
:
00:17:46
Sometimes grandma and I disagree
about things, but I make the decisions
360
:
00:17:49
about what's best for you , reassure
them that you are the parent.
361
:
00:17:52
You set the rules, and those rules are
there to protect them and keep them safe.
362
:
00:17:56
You're not asking them to take sides.
363
:
00:17:58
You are not bad mouthing
their grandmother.
364
:
00:18:00
You're just calmly reasserting
your authority and helping them
365
:
00:18:03
understand that what Grandma says
doesn't override what you say.
366
:
00:18:06
All of this is harder when you're
already anxious, already activated
367
:
00:18:09
already in fight or flight mode.
368
:
00:18:12
So if you can take a moment to regulate
yourself before you respond, take a
369
:
00:18:16
deep breath, ground yourself and remind
yourself, this is about her, not me.
370
:
00:18:21
I don't have to engage.
371
:
00:18:22
I can leave.
372
:
00:18:24
Sometimes just giving yourself
that five second pause can help you
373
:
00:18:27
respond from a place of calm instead
of reacting from panic or anger.
374
:
00:18:32
What if she escalates?
375
:
00:18:34
Maybe you're thinking, okay, Brittany,
I hear you, but what if I don't engage?
376
:
00:18:38
And she still escalates.
377
:
00:18:40
What if she gets louder, more
dramatic, more insistent?
378
:
00:18:43
I want you to let her, I
know it's uncomfortable.
379
:
00:18:46
I know you want to stop it,
but her escalation is not
380
:
00:18:49
your responsibility to manage.
381
:
00:18:51
If she escalates and makes a bigger
scene that reflects on her, not you,
382
:
00:18:55
other people will see that, and sometimes
people need to see it to understand
383
:
00:18:59
what you've been dealing with all along.
384
:
00:19:01
Your job is not to control her.
385
:
00:19:02
Your job is just to protect yourself.
386
:
00:19:05
Okay?
387
:
00:19:05
Before you go to a family gathering where
you anticipate conflict, pick someone
388
:
00:19:09
who can step in if things get bad.
389
:
00:19:11
Maybe it's your partner, maybe it's
a sibling, maybe it's a trusted
390
:
00:19:15
friend who's attending with you.
391
:
00:19:17
Tell them ahead of time, if my mom starts
creating conflict, can you help redirect?
392
:
00:19:21
Can you step in so I don't have to engage?
393
:
00:19:24
You don't have to handle this alone,
and you don't have to be the one
394
:
00:19:27
to manage your mother's behavior.
395
:
00:19:28
Having someone else who can intervene.
396
:
00:19:30
Someone who can change a subject, move
your mother to a different conversation,
397
:
00:19:34
or even directly tell her to stop,
take some of the burden off of you
398
:
00:19:37
in the moment of public conflict.
399
:
00:19:39
Your goal is simply don't engage, protect
yourself and remove yourself if needed.
400
:
00:19:46
You're not responsible for managing
her emotions, her behavior,
401
:
00:19:49
or other people's comfort.
402
:
00:19:51
You're only responsible for
yourself and and if applicable,
403
:
00:19:56
how does that word sound?
404
:
00:19:57
So weird.
405
:
00:19:59
Applicable.
406
:
00:20:00
I think, um, if it applies, you're also
responsible for protecting your children.
407
:
00:20:06
Okay.
408
:
00:20:06
So the public conflict happened.
409
:
00:20:08
You got through it.
410
:
00:20:09
Maybe you engaged and it escalated, or
you didn't engage and it still escalated.
411
:
00:20:15
I don't know, maybe you left.
412
:
00:20:17
Maybe you just survived it.
413
:
00:20:18
Now what, let's talk about the
aftermath of public conflict and
414
:
00:20:23
how to navigate what comes next.
415
:
00:20:25
You might feel embarrassed, ashamed,
angry, sad, or even confused
416
:
00:20:29
about why this keeps happening.
417
:
00:20:31
All those feelings are valid, but the
behavior you experienced was abnormal.
418
:
00:20:35
Your mother creating public conflict,
violating your boundaries, undermining
419
:
00:20:39
you in front of others, that's
not normal or acceptable behavior.
420
:
00:20:43
Your feelings of embarrassment or shame
are normal responses to abnormal behavior.
421
:
00:20:47
You didn't do anything wrong.
422
:
00:20:49
You don't need to be ashamed
because your emotional response
423
:
00:20:52
to it makes complete sense.
424
:
00:20:53
So give yourself permission to
feel whatever you might be feeling
425
:
00:20:56
without any judgment or criticism.
426
:
00:20:58
Now, one of the most annoying
parts of public conflict is dealing
427
:
00:21:01
with people who witnessed it.
428
:
00:21:02
You might have family members reaching
out to ask if you're okay or trying
429
:
00:21:06
to explain your mother's behavior,
or worse, trying to get you to
430
:
00:21:10
understand where she's coming from.
431
:
00:21:12
You don't owe any of these
people, an explanation or a
432
:
00:21:14
conversation about what happened.
433
:
00:21:16
If you feel close to any of them
who witnessed it and you want to
434
:
00:21:19
talk about it with them, do that.
435
:
00:21:22
Sometimes it helps the process with
people who saw it and can validate
436
:
00:21:24
your experience, but if you don't feel
safe or comfortable talking about it
437
:
00:21:28
with certain people, you don't have to.
438
:
00:21:30
You can say, I appreciate your concern,
but I don't wanna discuss it right now.
439
:
00:21:34
But sometimes people who witnessed
it finally understand what you've
440
:
00:21:37
been experiencing all along.
441
:
00:21:39
Maybe you've tried to explain to
your partner or your friends what
442
:
00:21:43
your relationship with your mother is
like, and they didn't quite get it.
443
:
00:21:47
They thought you were exaggerating
or being too sensitive, or they
444
:
00:21:50
just couldn't imagine what a
relationship like this would look like.
445
:
00:21:54
But now they saw it and
suddenly they understand.
446
:
00:21:57
That can be validating, but it can
also be bittersweet because you
447
:
00:22:01
shouldn't have to be humiliated in
public for people to believe you.
448
:
00:22:04
Either way.
449
:
00:22:05
If people who witnessed the
conflict are now offering support
450
:
00:22:08
or understand something they didn't
before, that's okay to accept.
451
:
00:22:12
You don't have to say, I told
you so just let them see you now.
452
:
00:22:16
Okay.
453
:
00:22:16
Let's switch gears and talk about a
specific type of public conflict that is
454
:
00:22:20
becoming increasingly common social media.
455
:
00:22:23
If your mother posts about you
without permission, shares, private
456
:
00:22:26
information online, or airs grievances
about your relationship publicly.
457
:
00:22:30
Here's my very simple advice, block
her if your mother is violating your
458
:
00:22:36
privacy and boundaries on social media.
459
:
00:22:38
Trying to engage with her about it or get
her to stop is a losing battle because you
460
:
00:22:42
can't control other people's behaviors.
461
:
00:22:43
You can't control what she
posts, but you can control.
462
:
00:22:47
If you see it, just block her.
463
:
00:22:49
Don't engage with the post.
464
:
00:22:51
Don't try to defend
yourself in the comments.
465
:
00:22:53
Don't ask her to take
things down publicly.
466
:
00:22:55
Maybe you can send a text or something
or call her or ask her in person or
467
:
00:22:58
remove it, but I wouldn't comment that.
468
:
00:23:00
Just remove yourself
from that space entirely.
469
:
00:23:04
And if other people see and send, send
you screenshots or tell you what she's
470
:
00:23:08
posting, you can ask 'em to stop.
471
:
00:23:10
Tell 'em you appreciate them looking
out for you, but you'd rather not
472
:
00:23:14
know you blocked her so you don't
have to see or engage on those posts.
473
:
00:23:18
It's healthier for you to not see it.
474
:
00:23:20
It's just gonna frustrate you
and it's gonna bring up lots
475
:
00:23:24
of emotions and probably anger.
476
:
00:23:26
Also, just block her.
477
:
00:23:28
You don't have to have her on your social
media and you don't need to see her.
478
:
00:23:31
Repeated public conflict ruins
trust and safety in a relationship.
479
:
00:23:35
When your mother repeatedly humiliates
you, violates your boundaries or
480
:
00:23:38
undermines you in front of others,
something fundamental inside of you
481
:
00:23:42
breaks you stop feeling safe with
her, especially in public settings.
482
:
00:23:46
And once safety is gone, it's
really hard to maintain closeness.
483
:
00:23:50
You might start making decisions
about how much contact you want
484
:
00:23:53
to have with her, whether you
want to attend family gatherings.
485
:
00:23:56
Whether the relationship is worth the
cost of your mental health and peace.
486
:
00:24:00
If you're at the point where you're
considering not attending family
487
:
00:24:03
events anymore, or limiting contact
with your mother, whatever choice
488
:
00:24:06
you decide on because it's the right
choice for you is a valid choice.
489
:
00:24:11
You can make that decision at any time.
490
:
00:24:13
There's no right time to set
those kind of boundaries.
491
:
00:24:16
If you feel unsafe or
uncomfortable, you have options.
492
:
00:24:19
Don't go to the gathering.
493
:
00:24:20
Go with someone you feel safe
with, someone who will support you.
494
:
00:24:24
Set a time limit.
495
:
00:24:25
Go but only stay for
an hour and then leave.
496
:
00:24:28
Only attend certain
events and skip others.
497
:
00:24:30
There's no rule that says you
have to keep showing up to places
498
:
00:24:33
where you're being mistreated.
499
:
00:24:34
Behavior like this will likely
fast track estrangement.
500
:
00:24:37
And while no therapist or coach or anyone
out there that is working with moms and
501
:
00:24:43
daughters no one in this space should be.
502
:
00:24:46
Helping a daughter choose estrangement
or helping estrangement to happen,
503
:
00:24:50
that decision is solely on the daughter
and solely on the person who has
504
:
00:24:55
to be a part of this relationship.
505
:
00:24:57
It's not for me or anyone else
to suggest, and I never would.
506
:
00:25:00
But if estrangement makes sense for
you, if it's what you need and you know
507
:
00:25:05
that you need it, make the decision.
508
:
00:25:07
You get to protect yourself and you
should protect yourself, and you
509
:
00:25:10
shouldn't put her comfort above yours.
510
:
00:25:12
If you're uncomfortable, if you
feel unsafe, if you can't trust this
511
:
00:25:16
relationship to protect you, then
don't be a part of the relationship.
512
:
00:25:20
You have decisions and you can
decide what that looks like.
513
:
00:25:24
You get to decide how much you
tolerate and what you can't.
514
:
00:25:27
You get to decide where you show up and
where you don't because it's not worth
515
:
00:25:31
the anxiety that it's going to create.
516
:
00:25:32
It's not worth your mental health
being shot and you having to to work
517
:
00:25:38
through everything that came up and
all of the emotions and your body
518
:
00:25:40
feeling dysregulated like you're
left to do with that all by yourself.
519
:
00:25:44
You don't have to do that
if you don't want to.
520
:
00:25:46
You get to decide how much
contact feels healthy for you.
521
:
00:25:48
And prioritizing your wellbeing
over other people's expectations.
522
:
00:25:53
You don't have to justify your decisions.
523
:
00:25:54
You get to just make them.
524
:
00:25:56
I also know that none of
these decisions are easy.
525
:
00:25:58
I just want to remind you that
choices are there now, the emotions
526
:
00:26:03
and how you carry out these choices
and what all of that looks like.
527
:
00:26:07
It's really dependent on who you are.
528
:
00:26:09
And what your relationship dynamics are
with your mother, but the choice of what
529
:
00:26:15
you need is a choice that you get to make.
530
:
00:26:17
As we wrap up today's episode, I wanna
leave you with a few final thoughts.
531
:
00:26:22
Public conflict with your mother,
like being criticized in front
532
:
00:26:25
of your partner, being undermined
in front of your children, having
533
:
00:26:28
your celebration turn into drama.
534
:
00:26:31
None of that is normal or acceptable.
535
:
00:26:34
If this is happening to you,
you're probably not overreacting.
536
:
00:26:37
You're not being too sensitive,
and also you're not alone.
537
:
00:26:41
This is a real pattern that causes
real harm and your decision to protect
538
:
00:26:45
yourself is valid and a choice that you
get to make at any time that you need to.
539
:
00:26:52
You don't owe your mother access to
you in spaces where she repeatedly
540
:
00:26:55
disrespects you or hurts you.
541
:
00:26:58
You don't have to keep attending
family gatherings where you feel
542
:
00:27:00
anxious, unsafe, or humiliated.
543
:
00:27:03
You don't have to sacrifice your peace
to keep other people comfortable.
544
:
00:27:06
If you're feeling anxious
before events, dreading family
545
:
00:27:09
gatherings, already planning your
escape routes, that's your body.
546
:
00:27:12
Remembering what happened before
and trying to protect you.
547
:
00:27:15
Listen to what your body is telling you.
548
:
00:27:17
There's lots of information there.
549
:
00:27:19
You deserve to have your
celebrations be about you.
550
:
00:27:22
You deserve to have your boundaries
respected and you deserve
551
:
00:27:25
to be treated with dignity.
552
:
00:27:27
Especially in front of other people, and
if your mother can't give you that, it's
553
:
00:27:31
okay to create distance if you need.
554
:
00:27:33
It's also okay to create boundaries
that are gonna keep you safe.
555
:
00:27:37
It's okay to just step back a little bit.
556
:
00:27:39
There's many lanes here and how
things look and what you need
557
:
00:27:43
and how you protect yourself.
558
:
00:27:45
It's okay for you to choose yourself.
559
:
00:27:46
Now if today's episode resonated with
you and maybe you're realizing you need
560
:
00:27:50
support in navigating this relationship,
I wanna remind you that break the cycle,
561
:
00:27:55
the workbook is created specifically
for daughters who are dealing with
562
:
00:27:59
complicated mother-daughter dynamics.
563
:
00:28:02
It includes boundary setting scripts
for situations exactly like the
564
:
00:28:05
ones we talked about today, how
to handle public conflict, how
565
:
00:28:08
to set boundaries before events.
566
:
00:28:10
How to protect yourself when
your mother won't change.
567
:
00:28:12
How to actually build out a boundary
that supports a need that you're
568
:
00:28:16
trying to get met, like it's going
to teach you all of these things.
569
:
00:28:19
It also walks you through understanding
your relationship patterns, healing
570
:
00:28:22
attachment wounds, managing relationship
anxiety, and breaking generational cycles.
571
:
00:28:27
The part that I love about this
book that I created is that.
572
:
00:28:30
You can do this if your mom is willing
to heal with you, and if your mom
573
:
00:28:33
cannot be a part of that with you,
she doesn't have to be a part of it.
574
:
00:28:37
For this to work.
575
:
00:28:38
Your healing doesn't
depend on her changing.
576
:
00:28:40
It doesn't depend on her apology, and it
doesn't depend on her acknowledgement.
577
:
00:28:43
It depends on you deciding that
you're not gonna send her other
578
:
00:28:47
people's comfort anymore and
you're going to heal for yourself.
579
:
00:28:50
So if you're interested in the workbook
and this episode resonated with you,
580
:
00:28:54
I wanna remind you that the link is in
the show notes and you can go and see
581
:
00:28:58
if this is the right purchase for you.
582
:
00:29:00
It's an instant digital download, and I'm
offering a five day money back guarantee.
583
:
00:29:04
So if it's not what you need, just email
me and I'll refund you immediately.
584
:
00:29:09
Your healing doesn't have
to wait for her to change.
585
:
00:29:11
I want you to know that
it can start today.
586
:
00:29:12
Okay.
587
:
00:29:13
That's what all of this is for.
588
:
00:29:15
I do my best to make sure that every
episode leaves you with something you
589
:
00:29:18
can take away, leaves you with a new
way to phrase things, leaves you with
590
:
00:29:23
validation of knowing that you're not
overreacting and you're not being too
591
:
00:29:27
sensitive, that these are abnormal
behaviors and that you're responding
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to them in a very normal way and
leaves you with things that you can do
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00:29:34
differently, things that you can change,
and ways that you can protect yourself.
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00:29:40
And if your mother can't do that, like
you're allowed to do that for yourself,
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00:29:44
and you're allowed to create spaces and
boundaries and situations that protect
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you and only you if that's what you need.
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:
00:29:51
So thanks for being here.
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:
00:29:53
Thanks for being a listener
and going on this ride with me.
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:
00:29:57
I really enjoy making these
episodes for you and being able
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to bring you this kind of healing.
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:
00:30:03
Even just listening through your
phone and just listening to the audio,
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:
00:30:07
my, my goal is that you walk away
with something from every episode.
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:
00:30:12
So I hope that this
episode did that for you.
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:
00:30:15
Thank you for being here and
being a listener, and that's
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:
00:30:18
all I got for you today.
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:
00:30:19
I will catch you in the next one.
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:
00:30:21
That's all for today's episode of the
Mother-Daughter Relationship Show.
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:
00:30:25
Thanks so much for
spending this time with me.
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:
00:30:27
I hope you picked up some valuable
insights that you can start using right
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:
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away in your own relationship to create
deeper connection and understanding.
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:
00:30:34
If something from today's
episode resonated with you,
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:
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don't keep it to yourself.
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:
00:30:38
Share it with the mother or daughter in
your life who needs to hear this message.
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:
00:30:41
And while you're at it, please
consider leaving a rating.
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:
00:30:44
And review so we can reach more
families and transform the way mothers
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:
00:30:47
and daughters relate to each other.
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:
00:30:49
For those ready to take the next
step, you can visit my website to
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:
00:30:53
learn more about my private coaching
programs and my program designed
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:
00:30:57
specifically for mother-daughter pairs.
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:
00:31:00
Whether you're dealing with communication
challenges, life transitions, or
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just wanna strengthen an already
good relationship, I'm here to help.
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:
00:31:07
Thank you so much for listening.
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:
00:31:09
I'll see you in the next one.