Emotionally immature parents rely on their children yet resent them at the same time. They benefit from the child’s built-in deference and attachment to them. They feel bolstered by the power dynamic of being the parent and having power over someone else. Yet they resent the child’s needs as a source of irritation and inconvenience to them. They tend to see the child as a competitor rather than as an innocent being naturally entitled and reliant on their support.

Bethany Webster