How To Balance Your New Family And Your Enmeshed Family Of Origin

One of the biggest struggles for people from enmeshed families is balancing their new family (with a partner or children) and their family of origin. There is no “right” way to do this, and every family, culture, religion, etc., has a different view about how a family should be structured. What matters here is that you and the family you are building feel like there is a good balance. Enmeshed families may be threatened by adding new family members, like a spouse, and struggle with moving into a different role. This can be especially difficult for the new partner or spouse and cause them to feel excluded from the family.

I recommend working through some of these questions on your own and/or with your partner. This will help you decide how you would like to handle balancing both families and what role your extended family will play in your life. The more you discuss this, the easier it will be to navigate the inevitable challenges.