October 2025
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    Hi, I’m a writer working on a story involving a tough family situation. I’m not interested in writing about blatantly abusive parents. I want to portray parents who are genuinely trying to do their best, but still consistently fail their child in subtle and damaging ways.

    I’m looking for book recommendations (nonfiction or fiction) that explore these kinds of dynamics or that can help me understand them better. Both for my writing and for personal understanding, since a lot of this draws from my own experience.

    Some examples of the behaviors I want to explore:

    • Ignoring or violating their child’s boundaries
    • (Unknowingly) denying their child independence
    • Dismissing or invalidating their child’s emotions ("you’re too sensitive," "you’re making it up," etc.)
    • Placing the child in a pseudo-adult role (e.g. expecting them to be "the happy one" or the emotional stabilizer in an otherwise dysfunctional household)
    • Uncommon physical punishment (like out of sheer frustration)

    If you know of any books that handle this type of dynamic, that'd be super helpful.

    by Shtiks

    2 Comments

    1. WebfootWitchhat on

      I’m reading The Power of Showing Up – How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson right now.

      I’m about halfway through but I think it might be what your’re looking for.

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