87. When You Don't Get a Response

Parents of estranged adult children often get no response to messages they send. With every lack of response, parents become more and more discouraged. They take their child’s silence as continued rejection, and they start to feel powerless. While it’s true that adult children often don’t respond if they don’t like the message, there are other reasons why they might not reply, even if the messages lands well. In this inspiring episode, Tina suggests that getting a response shouldn’t be considered the only measure of success. As long as they know their messages are helping to restore the relationship, parents can feel good about what they send. If you’re thinking of offering an apology, or if you’ve sent apologies in the past without apparent effect, make sure you know the elements of an effective apology. (Go to reconnectioncl... for a link to Lesson 1 of the Reconnection Club apology course.) That’s just one example of how parents can educate themselves to become confident in what they’re sending to their estranged adult children. Make sure everything you send during an estrangement is both heartfelt and on target.