Parenting adult children

Lamott recounts refusing to bail her son out of jail, believing that rescuing him could have cost him his life.

“I let him stay in jail overnight because I thought that if I fished him out, he was going to die”

TED Radio Hour: Addiction, motherhood and Jesus with writer Anne Lamott (Jul 31, 2026) · Listen from 34:22

Lamott argues in her TED Talk that trying to help grown loved ones is often toxic and a disguised form of control.

“Our help is usually not very helpful. Our help is often toxic. And help is the sunny side of control. Stop helping so much”

TED Radio Hour: Addiction, motherhood and Jesus with writer Anne Lamott (Jul 31, 2026) · Listen from 33:41

Lamott says that setting a boundary and putting her son off the property preceded his entry into recovery, now 13 years sober.

“I set that boundary, and about 10 days later, he called and said that the guys in the recovery community in San Francisco had taken him under his wing”

TED Radio Hour: Addiction, motherhood and Jesus with writer Anne Lamott (Jul 31, 2026) · Listen from 31:29

Robbins contends there is no such thing as a dead-end job because all work builds skills and experience.

“there is no such thing as a dead end job, period. All work has value. Every job teaches you skills”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: Let Them: How to Handle Difficult People & Take Back Your Peace and Power (Sep 21, 2026) · Listen from 21:53

Robbins cautions parents against comparing siblings, arguing judgment and comparison push people away.

“And the one thing that will push someone away is judgment and comparison. So let him. Let him be in a job you don't like”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: Let Them: How to Handle Difficult People & Take Back Your Peace and Power (Sep 21, 2026) · Listen from 19:28