Are You Keeping Your Emerging Adult Stuck?

If you’re feeling exhausted, frustrated, and completely drained by your emerging adult’s lack of progress, I need to ask you something:

• Are you reminding them daily to apply for jobs?
• Are you paying for their phone, car, or living expenses—without expecting anything in return?
• Are you staying up at night, stressed about their next move while they seem unfazed?

If so, you may be unintentionally keeping them stuck.

The More You Manage, The Less They Have To

I hear it from parents all the time:
"If I don’t remind them, they’ll never do it."
"If I cut off their phone, how will they communicate?"
"If I don’t step in, what if they fail?"

I get it. Truly, I do. As a parent, it’s painful to watch your child struggle—or worse, seem completely unmotivated. But here’s the hard truth:

• The more you manage their life, the less they have to.
• The more you stress about their next move, the less they feel the urgency to figure it out themselves.
• The more you enable, the less they develop the skills to stand on their own.

How to Stop Enabling and Start Empowering

This doesn’t mean you have to cut them off completely or stop caring. It means shifting how you support them so they start taking ownership of their life.

• Set clear expectations. Instead of endless reminders, set firm boundaries: “If you don’t apply for jobs by the end of the month, I will no longer cover your phone bill.”
• Stop rescuing. If they miss a job opportunity, let them feel the consequences. Struggle creates growth.
• Prioritize your peace. You can’t fix their life by losing sleep over it. It’s time to step back so they can step up.

Let Me Show You How

If you’re ready to stop enabling and start empowering your emerging adult, I can help.

I offer private coaching, support group calls, and a monthly class designed to help you shift this dynamic in your home.

Register for Weekly Parent Support Calls.

I believe in you, parents. And together, we can do this.