<p>Epiphany posted: “parents who themselves were raised in a family whose dynamics were defined by denial tend to pass that dynamic along in their own formed families.”</p>
<p>Epiphany, your screen name is very appropriate. That sentence was a “lightbulb moment” for me. (My family of origin had plenty of denial issues.) </p>
<p>My nephew is one of those problem kids with parents in denial. My sister is a classic “helicopter mom,” constantly fixing things and trying to manipulate the world for her sons. Her oldest is 20 and on a downhill slide: driver’s license taken away for too many speeding tickets, pot found in his car (“belongs to a friend”), transferred to a much easier college nearer to high school friends (several of whom are major party people), going out for lots of quick trips at night (“to the grocery store”), serving alcohol to friends late at night right at home in the kitchen after parents are asleep. He is getting his younger brother involved in all this as well. We expect he will be arrested for DUI or selling or possession and then finally his parents will have to wake up. It is sad to see developing in your own family. He is a very bright guy who has been given way too much of everything under the sun. </p>
<p>This is a fascinating thread.</p>