If your parents’ “helpful” parenting advice feels more like criticism, you’re not imagining it. Many of us are still trying to parent differently than we were raised; only to have our own parents question every choice. Unpack why their comments sting so deeply, how those old wounds resurface in our parenting, and what it means to finally break the cycle without cutting our parents out. If you’ve ever walked away from a phone call with your mom feeling both guilty and angry, this piece will help you understand why and how to heal while raising your kids your way.

If you’ve ever caught yourself parenting on autopilot, saying words that sound suspiciously like your own parents, you know how hard it is to break free from generational patterns. You want to do better, but awareness alone doesn’t erase the weight of what you inherited. Learn practical ways to stop repeating cycles while creating new ones that feel intentional, supportive, and worth passing on.