Launching Late: How to Help Your Child with Failure to Launch

“Failure to launch” has been used recently to describe grown children who, for one reason or another, aren’t willing or able to leave their family home to pursue their own goals, lead independent lives and become self-sufficient. This phenomenon is on the rise, and it’s important to understand what can cause it and what you can do to help a child get through it.  Early Signs of Failure to Launch Most parents who have an adult child who has “failed to launch” identify some of these factors being present in their child: Unwillingness or inability to take on responsibilities Low self-esteem Cautiousness to new situations Avoidance of social situations Extreme introversion Learning issues or issues in school Lack of engagement in activities or sports or hobbies Dependency on parents and others Low levels of self-motivation Mental Health Issues Associated with Failure to Launch The following diagnoses have been associated with children who have failure to launch: Depression Anxiety Social Anxiety Autism Spectrum Disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Substance Use Preventing Failure to Launch If you are able to identify the above early signs, early intervention may prevent failure to launch from happening. For children with self-esteem issues, engaging a therapist early can lead to increased self-esteem and failure/rejection coping mechanisms that the child can learn and harness as they go through life. For children with social avoidance ...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Parenting Success & Achievement Autonomy college Failure to Launch Personal Independence Source Type: blogs