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How do I stop my adult daughter from controlling me without ruining our relationship?

 
 
Reply Tue 19 May, 2020 11:47 am
I love my 27 year old child and overall we have a good and close relationship but she can be overly controlling on my life. It’s as if I need her permission to make my own decisions. In this health environment things have only gotten worse. She doesn’t want me to see anyone or go anywhere. I’m very cautious on my own.
I told her I decided to have my cleaning person return with the understanding that this person wear mask and gloves and I will be out of the house in my office for the few hours that she will be here. I also had to have a refrigerator replaced so there were some repairman here it was wearing mask and gloves and I stayed near the door. And there were other things that life presents that we just need to do. She seem to understand but not be happy about it. The real problem centers on my social life.
i have been in a relationship for almost a year and she is vehemently against me seeing this person.I think she’s using it as an excuse since she really has never been easy to deal with in terms of my dating life. Now I have an issue because her and her fiancé who live out of state want to visit for a few weeks. Do I tell my significant other not come here for a few weeks (he lives out of state as well but in the suburbs like me)? She also told me that I shouldn’t see anybody now since it’s a 14 day incubation period and she and her fiancé have been avoiding contact with any other people and she doesn’t want me to give her that could possibly result in the virus because she says her immunity system is depressed. Well the facts are that she sees her doctor twice a week and I saw her visiting her girlfriend yesterday and she visits her fiancé‘s family from time to time reluctantly. Do I not see anybody for the next 14 days plus the few weeks she’s here or do I just make my own decision and tell her that she can decide whether or not to visit based on my actions?

Also, my bf is having out patient surgery in a few weeks so I planned on staying with him for several days and he’s required to take a coronavirus test. Assuming he’s negative do I tell her so she backs off a bit maybe?I’ve been a widow over 8 years. I think it’s more about her grief than anything else. She gives other reasons why she doesn’t like him but frankly he is very good to me in all respects so she should be happy for me and just keep her remarks to herself. I recognize that by me seeing anyone else including my boyfriend I could be exposing myself or those around me to the virus. However I am very cautious and so is my boyfriend. He lives on in his own home and doesn’t really go out except to come see me each weekend. On the other hand she does go to the doctor twice a week and lives in a large city while I live in the suburbs as does my bf.
 
engineer
 
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Reply Wed 20 May, 2020 07:30 am
@anxiousaboutthings,
It sounds like your daughter shouldn't be visiting at this time. If her immune system is compromised, she should stay home and you two can video chat. You might also want to back off on how much sharing you are doing about your dating life.
Ragman
 
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Reply Wed 20 May, 2020 10:23 am
@engineer,
FWIW, I agree. She’s been given too much license and insight into your private life. The time for that sort of inclusion should be in the past. The period of time you were an unattached widow and NOT dating is a bygone era. On top of that he needs your help due to his operation. He will be tested and you can both wear a mask if he’s in quarantine, though that’ll be awkward.

The transition to being part of a couple and in a committed relationship is not something she’s able to accept, yet. Without distancing her and shutting her out, she needs to understand where the new boundaries are.

If she visits, it’ll have to be at some other time, so it seems. The risk of her added visits to others increases odds of exposing you AND your b/f It’s just an unnecessary risk.

Furthermore, she’s not supposed to be dictating terms to you about what and how you date. That’s off limits. He’s a good man and you’re ready for this relationship.
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anxiousaboutthings
 
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Reply Tue 26 May, 2020 08:14 am
I really appreciate again everybody’s input since this is a delicate matter. I suppose I have been very reluctant to take any opportunity to fight with my daughter since I still feel guilt about her losing her dad at such a young age. She’s never been that easy to get along with to begin with and this is only made it worse. I believe that tomorrow is the day I’m going to need to tell her that she is welcome to come home next Sunday with her fiancé provided they only stop for gas and do not approach anybody including without a mask.. However I’m going to have to tell her that I will be leaving the house for about three or four days during the two-week time she’s with me to take care of my boyfriend as I promised who lives out of state and who will be coronavirus tested before the procedure to avoid any risk whatsoever. I’m in dissipating that she is going to give me a really hard time either because a I’m leaving her for three or four days while she’s visiting and she’s going to make me feel like I’m my boyfriend is more important than her and or be that I’m still taking some kind of risk by taking care of him and then returning home. My inclination will be to then suggest that she wait two weeks to visit if she feels That strongly. But in no event so I really want to put my daughter not in a priority position. They are my thoughts reasonable under the circumstances? It’s going to be very hard for me to pull this off but I know I almost have no choice because if it’s not one thing it’s going to be another thing and my boyfriend and I are talking seriously about getting married but she has no idea about. Also I spoke to him yesterday about talking to her to smooth things over and he’s more than happy to give her a call and do that so I will have to give her a heads up about that as well. My feeling about that is if she is not receptive to tell her not to bother to visit at all.
engineer
 
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Reply Tue 26 May, 2020 09:43 am
@anxiousaboutthings,
I'd start with the "I'm going to see Bill for a few days, why don't you wait for a couple of weeks" lead. It really doesn't seem to be a bit rude to say "Go ahead and come, but I'm not going to be here."
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anxiousaboutthings
 
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Reply Thu 28 May, 2020 09:41 am
I had a really hard and long conversation with my daughter yesterday. I did raise my voice through a good share of the call and was very blunt eventually she did seem to back down. She explained to me how hurt she was the one and only time she met my boyfriend and how overly controlling and rude he was to her. Apparently her fiancé was also upset with him for treating her like that. I did witness some of it and all I can say is I think he felt under stress since he was Meeting her for the first time and his family was also coming over and there was a dispute regarding putting our cat in the basement since my daughter was reluctant to do so but his family is allergic to cats including his grandchildren. My boyfriend did come on too strong and I did witness it and I said something to him that night and asked him if he would perhaps consider apologizing to her. Instead he watched some TV with her and made small talk and that type of thing but never came out and apologized. When I talked to my daughter last night this came up again when I mentioned that he wanted to apologize and would she be willing to listen to him. She said it’s already been six months where is he been all this time and he should’ve apologized when I asked him to back last November. I told her everybody deserves a second chance and he’s been very good to me so would she do it for me at least. I also repeatedly told her if she doesn’t need to like him she just needs to acknowledge him. Unfortunately because of the length of our conversation I never even got around to telling her that I’ll be gone for three or four days while she’s here but I did mention that she should stay a little more than two weeks if that’s what she wants to do and she mentioned that that might be possible. I get where she’s coming from I really do and I am still a little angry at my boyfriend for acting that way to begin with and then not following through with an apology even though he’s willing to do so now. However having said all of this he does really go out of his way to make me happy and he’s very very good to my adult son who has some disabilities so I know he has a lot of good in him to share and he’s not a bad person. If he wants to apologize he should be able to. So I guess I’ll have round two today where I need to tell her I’ll be out of here for a few days. For whatever reason she’s under the impression I haven’t seen him for a few months and that’s probably because I have a mention his name and seeing him on the weekends so to avoid any controversy. She’s going to then wonder why all the sudden I’m running up there to take care of him I haven’t seen him for a few months but I have to deal with that as it develops. What a mess!
engineer
 
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Reply Thu 28 May, 2020 01:56 pm
@anxiousaboutthings,
anxiousaboutthings wrote:

Meeting her for the first time and his family was also coming over and there was a dispute regarding putting our cat in the basement since my daughter was reluctant to do so but his family is allergic to cats including his grandchildren.

Oh, I can so relate to this. I'm allergic to cats. I normally just stay out of cat spaces but I've had cat owners express surprise or disbelief when I tell them I'm not into their cats. My in laws told my wife they thought it was in my head until I forget to take allergy meds before visiting their house and ended up with bloodshot and swollen eyes and a continuous cough within an hour of arriving. Doesn't mean your boyfriend can dictate to someone in their own home, but I get where he was coming from. Putting the cat away would have been a minimal accommodation for allergic guests.
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