The holidays can bring deep joy, but they also bring something many parents don’t expect: the emotional complexity of spending time with your now-adult children.

Parenting doesn’t end when children become adults. Many parents still feel a deep instinct to help, guide, and protect, especially when their adult children are struggling. But sometimes, what begins as loving support can quietly turn into something less healthy: enabling.

Parenting doesn’t stop when children grow up. Many parents discover that even after their kids reach adulthood, the pull to “fix,” “rescue,” or stay deeply involved in their lives can be hard to let go of. While this comes from love and care, it can sometimes cross into codependency: a dynamic where boundaries become blurred, and both parent and adult child may struggle to grow independently.