PARENT AND ADULT CHILD
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Relationships are part of the very fabric of your character’s life. How well or poorly they get along with others oftentimes comes down to personality, so carefully consider the positive traits and negative traits of your story’s cast. Another factor that can pull characters together or create friction is motivation, so keep each individual’s goal—both at the scene and story level—in mind as you write.
DESCRIPTION:
RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS:
The two speaking daily, vacationing together, and otherwise seeking out each other's company
Both parties sharing in the raising of children/grandchildren
An adult child becoming a caretaker for their aging parent
One party seeking out the advice of the other
Either party striving to forgive, reconcile with, or make amends with the other
An adult child and parent who love and respect each other but aren't very close (due to physical distance, busyness, or another benign reason)
Two people who simply don't get along (because of religious or political differences, clashing personalities, parenting styles, etc.)
An adult parent who is still trying to control or orchestrate their child's life
A manipulative parent using a grandchild against their child to get what they want
An adult child who is still relying on their parent for their basic needs
An unreliable parent who acts more like the child in the relationship
An adult child hiding their choices from their parent and maintaining a façade
A parent and child who only get together for family functions but otherwise avoid one another
A toxic relationship filled with anger, accusations, blame, and even abuse
An estranged parent and child
An adult child being unable to forgive a parent for past transgressions
One party being predominantly selfish and seeking their own needs above the other person's
CHALLENGES THAT COULD THREATEN THE STATUS QUO:
One party relocating closer to or further away from the other
Either party disapproving of the other's lifestyle
The child facing a challenge that requires additional time or financial support from the parent
The parent disapproving of the adult child's parenting philosophies
The child rejecting cultural or religious norms that the parent still embraces
The child finding out they have been lied to about their parentage
One party making a choice that brings shame to the family
One person's addiction escalating so it impacts others
The parent divorcing
A single parent remarrying
Either party developing a serious illness
One person needing to borrow money from the other
Either party needing to move in with the other
The child setting healthy boundaries that the parent doesn't agree with