Join Lori and special guest Catherine Hickem as they dive deep into the challenges of parenting adult children, navigating blended families, and setting healthy boundaries for family harmony. In this insightful episode, you’ll hear personal stories, expert mental health perspectives, and actionable advice for stepfamilies, parents, and anyone dealing with adult kids who just won’t leave the nest.
Key topics:
- Parenting Adult Children: The importance of boundaries, accountability, and recognizing emotional roadblocks for adult kids
- Stepfamily & Blended Family Dynamics: How living with adult stepkids impacts marriages and step-parent relationships
- Boundary Setting for Parents: Real examples of negotiating household rules, expectations, and “non-negotiables” when adult children (and their partners) move back home
- Family Dysfunction & Enablement: The difference between helping and enabling, especially when emotional or financial dependency is involved
- Estrangement and Parental Alienation: Addressing parent-child estrangement, how to reconnect, and protecting parental well-being in tough situations
- Strengths-Based Parenting: Using strengths-finder assessments to better understand and empower adult children
- Mental Health for Families: How shame, trauma, and enabling can stop adult children from thriving, plus the importance of curiosity over judgment
- Tips for Step-Parents: When to “nacho” (step back) and how to avoid stepping into parenting roles that create marital stress
Timestamps:
- 00:07:34 – Setting boundaries when adult children move in
- 00:13:37 – Why consequences and accountability matter
- 00:20:22 – What to do when adult children won’t leave home
- 00:44:15 – Research vs. taking action for adult kids with ADD/ADHD
- 01:10:25 – How to handle estrangement and alienation as a parent
Whether you’re a parent, stepparent, or part of a blended family, this episode is packed with real-life examples and expert advice to help you create a peaceful home, foster resilience, and stay true to your values.
Listen, learn, and “nacho” your way to a better family dynamic!
Nacho Testimonial:
"I hated my life. I wanted to throw in the towel. My wife wanted me to try Nachoing first. And I'm glad I did! Thank you Lori & David! #Nacho4Life" ~ C.Z., Knoxville, TN, USA
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Explore these Resources
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
- www.NachoKidsAcademy.com
- www.NachoKids.com
- Nacho Kids Facebook page
- Nacho Kids Instagram
- Nacho Kids YouTube Channel
- Coaching Info
Our Purpose
Nacho Kids' purpose is to dramatically reduce the blended family and stepfamily failure rate by providing the information and tools needed to live a successful and healthy blended life.
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Join The Conversation
If you’d like to be a guest on the Nacho Kids Podcast, reach out to us and we’ll see what we can do! Or if you have a question you’d like us to answer, send us a message! We are very thankful to all of our guests and our listeners. Our hope for you is that something you hear here will help you in your blend!