Here's an uncomfortable reality: we parents can easily idolize our kids.

When your teen or adult child is distant, critical, or just doesn't seem to like you, it cuts deep. You want their approval, their friendship, their gratitude. That's not wrong—it comes from love! But what happens when their opinion of you becomes the measure of your worth?

Brandon, Liv, and Matt explore the common trap of needing our kids' validation—and why it always backfires. When your child's approval becomes the sun in your identity solar system, you become grasping, controlling, or bitter. The very thing you're doing to win their love pushes them away.

The solution isn't trying harder. It's letting God be your source of validation so you're finally free to love your kids without needing anything back. That's when you can give them what they actually need: compassion, patience, and a parent who isn't desperate.

Practical. Honest. Hopeful.

Links:

• How to Read the Gospels with Your Imagination Workshop: https://www.signpostinn.org/events/gospel-imagination-mar-21
• Free Webinar — Heal & Deepen Your Relationship with Your Kids: https://www.signpostinn.org/webinar
• Brandon's Book — Changing the Conversation: Learning to Dance Instead of Fight: https://www.signpostinn.org/book
• Join us for an event: https://www.signpostinn.org/events
• Donate to Signpost Inn: https://www.signpostinn.org/donate

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Check out our website www.signpostinn.org for more resources!

Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com