Someone needs to hear this right now, so I’m just going to say it plainly:

Stop funding the phone.

If you have a 20-something under your roof whose days and nights are flipped…
who is under- or unemployed…
who is smoking weed to cope with anxiety…
who spends hours scrolling while life passes by…

And...

Over the years, parents have asked me this question again and again:

“Does your advice apply to parents of neurodivergent emerging adults, or do they need a completely different approach?”

Here’s what I want you to know.

Yes, this approach still applies, because the fundamentals of healthy parent...

“My son really knows how to push my buttons.”

I hear this from parents all the time. And honestly? We’ve all lived it.

One minute you’re fine. The next minute, something small happens, and suddenly you’re flooded with heat, anger, and the urge to yell or set them straight.

And afterward, you’re l...

If your daughter or son hears criticism every time you try to have a conversation, even when your tone is calm and your intentions are good, you’re probably feeling confused and discouraged.

You’re not crazy, and you’re not doing it wrong.

You are choosing your words carefully.
You are trying to be...

Parents ask me all the time:

“How do I fix my stay-at-home son?”
“How do I fix my stuck daughter?”

Here’s the honest answer: You don’t. You can’t “fix” an adult.

But you can fix the dynamic that’s keeping them stuck, and that starts with you, not them.

If your emerging adult is:

• Sleeping all d...

Listen to me for a moment, parent to parent:

Your emerging adult’s mood is not a report card on your parenting.

I know it feels that way sometimes. When your son or daughter comes home quiet, snappy, or shut down, your mind races: What did I say? What did I do wrong?

The truth that changes everyt...