Parents are supposed to give the child back to herself with love. If they’ve got duct tape over their eyes and toilet paper in their ears, the child can’t find herself.Susan Forward
Being physically neglected is damaging, but being emotionally rejected is worse.Susan Forward
Our parents are the most powerful role models in our lives. They show us how to act, how to relate, how to handle stress, how to cope with life.Susan Forward
In healthy families, children are required to take responsibility for their behavior, their mistakes, their tasks, and their lives. In toxic families, children take responsibility for the parents’ behavior, mistakes, tasks, and lives.Susan Forward
A toxic parent values control more than love.Susan Forward
Denial is the lid on our emotional pressure cooker: the longer we leave it on, the more pressure we build up. Sooner or later the pressure has to find a way out.Susan Forward
Toxic parents tend to project their own feelings of vulnerability onto their children, accusing or blaming them for how they themselves feel.Susan Forward
Losing a toxic parent may mean finding yourself.Susan Forward
If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.Susan Forward
There are only two possibilities for dealing with toxic parents – change the relationship or end it.Susan Forward