The Secret to Staying Connected With Your Adult Child

Once your child turns 18, control disappears but the fear, guilt and 3am “what ifs” don’t, especially when they’re gaming all night, drinking too much, not working or shutting you out. In this episode, parent coach Kim Muench joins me to unpack how to support young adults who are “lost in place”, stuck on the sofa, stuck in anxiety or stuck in risky behaviour and what actually helps: clear boundaries, honest conversations and doing your own emotional work so you’re leading, not pleading.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why control ends at 18 but your influence doesn’t and how to use it well

• How to understand and support a “lost in place” young adult who won’t launch

• The 4 Cs (clarity, calm, confidence, consistency) that shift stuck family patterns

• Ways to talk about money, gaming, alcohol and drugs without screaming… or enabling

• How to stop helicopter parenting your 20-something and become a safe place to land

• Practical boundaries when you’re scared they’ll end up homeless or worse

• Why emotional blackmail (“after everything I’ve done for you…”) destroys connection

• How to live with estrangement, work on yourself, and leave the door open to repair

If you’re facing a young adult who won’t launch, keeps circling home, or has cut you off, this episode gives you clear language, practical tools and the “4 Cs” to shift stuck dynamics plus validation for the grief and hope that come with this stage of parenting.

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For more from Kim Muench:

Website: Parent Coach for Parents of Emerging Adult and Adult Children

Facebook: Real Life Parent Guide

Instagram: Kim Muench (@kimmuenchparentcoach) • Instagram profile

TikTok: Kim Muench on TikTok

Follow Dr Shauna and the podcast on social:Podcast Website: ⁠www.allaboutyoupod.com⁠.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allaboutyou_withdrshaunawatts https://www.instagram.com/drshaunawattsgpLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-watts-a903a5247

Disclaimer: This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it do not constitute medical, health care or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.

00:00:00 – Introduction: Parenting After 18

00:00:25 – What Parenting Young Adults Really Looks Like

00:00:41 – Meet Parent Coach Kim Muench

00:02:09 – Understanding “Failure to Launch”

00:03:09 – Helping a Young Adult Who’s “Lost in Place”

00:05:21 – The Four Cs for Stuck Young Adults

00:07:58 – Mental Health Red Flags in Young Adults

00:09:25 – How Parental Anxiety Impacts Adult Children

00:11:30 – Helicopter Parenting Fallout in the 20s

00:12:14 – Shifting from Fixer to Supportive Guide

00:13:10 – Respecting Differences Between Your Children

00:16:20 – Emotional Blackmail and Broken Connection

00:19:43 – Setting Financial Boundaries with Adult Children

00:21:54 – Technology, Screens and Young Adult Behaviour

00:24:24 – Partnering with Young Adults on Solutions

00:25:15 – Today’s Pressures on 18–30-Year-Olds

00:26:52 – Handling Aggression and Safety Concerns

00:28:52 – Alcohol and Risky Behaviour Conversations

00:32:03 – Young Adult Brain Development Explained

00:33:15 – Estrangement: Coping and Leaving the Door Open

00:40:58 – How to Connect with Kim Muench

00:41:36 – Key Takeaways for Parenting Young Adults

* parenting young adults

* failure to launch adult child

* adult child living at home

* boundaries with adult children

* parents enabling addiction

* gaming addiction young adults

* estranged from adult child

* helicopter parenting 20 somethings

* mental health and parenting

* multigenerational living boundaries

* setting financial boundaries kids

* influence not control parenting

* Kim Muench parent coach

* All About You podcast

* Dr Shauna Watts parenting