How to Be Connected (But Not Too Connected) with Our Kids

We want to build a family that feels close and connected, but how do we know when the boundaries in our relationships are too porous? Here's what family enmeshment means, what it looks like, and how to look for signs of enmeshment in our relationships with our kids.

Amy and Margaret discuss:

• The family systems theory and how it relates to enmeshment
• How clear boundaries create safety in relationships
• How enmeshment in family dynamics affects stress tolerability

Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

• Melissa Porrey for VeryWell: What Is Enmeshment, and How Do You Set Boundaries?
• Sharon Martin, for Psych Central: The Enmeshed Family System: What It Is and How to Break Free
• Jesse L. Coe et. al for Journal of Family Psychology: Family Cohesion and Enmeshment Moderate Associations between Maternal Relationship Instability and Children’s Externalizing Problems
• Our Fresh Take with Gabor Maté and Gordon Neufeld, authors of Hold On to Your Kids: WHY PARENTS NEED TO MATTER MORE THAN PEERS

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What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson.

mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, cognitive labor, emotional labor, mental load, second shift, family meeting, partners, marriage, spouse, relationships, couples, enmeshment, family enmeshment