The High Price of Parental Guilt Trips
A sitcom is not a sitcom without a nagging mother pressuring her adult children to call or visit home more often. The choreography is always the same, with the mother applying pressure for greater contact through passive aggression, outward hostility, or persistent complaints. And while the trope is tired, exaggerated, and often sexist, guilt does take place in many families. Across cultures, genders, and religions, my clients speak about guilt as a factor that drives their relationships with their parents.
