Adult too soon (the parentified child)

The parentified child often played the role of parent to her own parents.  Becoming "adult too soon", and bearing more responsibility for an adult's well-being than she could actually carry. This experience can create belief patterns and behaviors that we can carry into adulthood. It's not easy to see this happening as it's such a pervasive experience; but knowing about it helps us understand experiences we had, why we may continue to struggle, and how we can avoid re-creating this dynamic with our kids.