Difficult: Mothering Challenging Adult Children Through Conflict and Change

“Does anybody have a map?...” - a lyric from the show Dear Evan Hansen, sung by the parents of the show’s adolescent children.

If you are a “Mom in the Trenches” of serious mental illness in your child, you also know the feeling - all too well .

Judith R. Smith, (mother, psychotherapist, professor, researcher on women’s issues as they age) noticed that the topic of mothering challenging adult kids was a topic that had no map - at least on the bookshelves.

So she researched, and wrote one, and it’s available this month.

We ask:

• Why this book?
• What did you learn in your research and interviews with mothers of challenging adult children?
• What does shame have to do with it?
• “ Unpaid and unrecognized maternal caregiving work continues to limit women’s quality of life” - what can mothers do to help themselves?
• Did you learn any tips for helping or handling our challenging adult kids?

“Difficult brings to life the conflicts that arise for mothers who are confronted with the unexpected, burdensome, and even catastrophic dependencies of their adult children associated with mental illness, substance use, or chronic unemployment”

Links:

Amazon - get the book!

Twitter: @JudithRSmithPhd

Judith’s facebook page: Difficult Mothering

judithRSmith@difficultmothering.com

Difficult Mothering Website

JASA - for aging services in NYC 

Who Are the 3 Moms?

Want us to cover a topic? Ask us a question? Facebook page @Schizophrenia3Moms

Randye Kaye -Broadcaster, Actress, Voice Talent, Speaker, and Author (“Ben Behind his Voices”, Happier Made Simple)

Miriam Feldman – Artist, Mom, Author “He Came in With It”

Mindy Greiling – member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for twenty years. Activist, Legislator, Author (“Fix What You Can“)