Here’s something most parents don’t think about: kids learn what relationships are supposed to look like by watching theirs. That’s it. That’s the blueprint they get. So if what they grew up hearing was criticism, resentment, unresolved fights, constant tension that becomes their baseline for what “normal” looks like. Some grow up scared of getting too close to anyone. Some struggle to trust partners, always half-expecting things to fall apart. Others panic at the smallest disagreement in their own relationships, because somewhere deep down, conflict still feels like the beginning of the end. It doesn’t show up immediately. It shows up later, in relationships their parents will probably never even see.
