May 1998
Taking the High Road with Mom: Overcoming Conflict on Mother's Day
Mother's Day can be a difficult holiday for those who have a challenging or stormy relationship with their mother.
"Adult children often find themselves engaged in the same struggles, conflicts and frustrations with their mothers that they had as children," says Mary C. Lamia, Ph.D. of the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute. "In fact, without realizing they are doing so, adult children can perpetuate and provoke conflict with their mothers."
How is it possible for adult children to separate themselves from these strained relationships? Perhaps the best gift for Mother's Day for both mother and the adult child is learning how to take the high road.
One way of taking the high road is to acknowledge the good times you have shared with your mother through the years. Bring up a memory of a happy time, or send a gift with a note saying, "I thought of you when I saw this," says Lamia.
Dr. Mary Lamia is available for media interviews on the topics of Mothers Day, holiday stress and challenging family gatherings. Please call Mary E. Tressel at: 800-260-2663 to arrange an interview.