Somewhere in our early teen years it's inevitable that our parents become sources of great embarrassment to us, held accountable for everything they are and aren't, could've been or should never be. Before things can get to that stage, though, it sometimes goes the other direction. We realize, even if we can't articulate it with the same sharpness with which we sense it, that once the bloom is off the earliest years of childhood, we stand revealed as something our parents are mortified to have created.
During our teenage years, it is common for us to view our parents as sources of embarrassment, blaming them for their flaws and shortcomings. We often scrutinize their actions and attitudes, holding them accountable for everything they are not or what we believe they should be. This phase of adolescence is characterized by a critical perspective as we try to redefine our identities separate from our parents.
However, before this critical stage fully takes hold, we may come to realize that our parents experience their own discomfort regarding their role in our lives. As we transition from childhood to adolescence, we become aware that our development may not align with their expectations, leaving them feeling uneasy about the individuals we have become. This awareness underscores the complex and often strained relationship between parents and their growing children.
