4 Reasons Kids Cut Off All Contact With Their Parents
When I was a kid, I once heard a story about a girl who cut off all contact with her parents.
Long story short, she wanted to be with a guy, but her parents didn’t approve.
The girl chose the guy over her parents.
That story was repeated by so many people.
It went from New York news to Florida talk shows and eventually made its way to worldwide headlines.
People, especially within the Desi community, thought it was strange for a child to stop talking to their parents.
Fast forward to 2025.
Stories like this are common.
Many people no longer talk to their parents.
Why is that?
Reasons Kids Stop Talking to Their Parents
This post will cover stories from people I know personally and others I’ve only heard about through social media.
Everyone’s story is different, but it’s clear that people are quicker to cut off ties nowadays.
It used to be just friends…
Now it’s family too.
Let’s explore some reasons why this happens.
- Differences in Priorities
From what I’ve seen, many people cut off contact with their parents due to differences in priorities.
Parents often want their kids to follow a specific career path, live a certain way, or get married by a certain age.
Meanwhile, the kids have completely different ideas about what they want in life.
For example, relationship status can be a major point of contention.
In some cultures, like the Desi culture, it’s frowned upon for a woman to be over a certain age and still unmarried.
Parents might criticize their daughter, saying things like:
“How come you’re still not married yet? All your cousins are married. You’re an embarrassment!”
At first, the daughter may tolerate the criticism.
But once she moves out and feels relief from the constant pressure, she may choose not to return to that environment…
Cutting off contact in the process.
- Digital Media and Technology
Technology has made it much easier to avoid communication.
If you were a ‘90s baby, you probably remember how it felt to ignore a ringing landline.
It was uncomfortable!
Even if you knew it was a telemarketer, you’d often pick up the call.
With cell phones, it’s different. It’s easier to:
- Ignore calls
- Avoid making calls
- Hang up on people
Kids today use these tactics with their parents.
Technology makes it simple to maintain distance.
- Betrayal
Some parents have done unforgivable things to their kids.
Stories of betrayal are common on social media.
I saw a TikTok about a mother who slept with her daughter’s girlfriend.
Another story involved a father who struggled with alcoholism and repeatedly stole money from his son.
Parents are human, and some make mistakes that destroy trust.
If you’ve had great parents, it may be hard to imagine such betrayals, but for many, they are a painful reality.
- Unhealed Childhood Trauma
Sometimes, childhood trauma resurfaces and affects the present-day relationship.
Take Tommy and his father, Luke, as an example:
- Luke is now 10 years sober, and he and Tommy have an okay relationship.
- However, when Tommy was a child, Luke was a violent alcoholic who broke things, hurt people, and yelled constantly.
Though Luke has changed, Tommy can’t forget the past.
Any time he tries to move forward with his father, he remembers the pain he endured.
Anger and resentment take over, and Tommy decides it’s easier to cut ties than to heal the relationship.
My Advice
I know I don’t know your story, but I recommend finding a way to make peace.
Life is too short.
One thing you’ll notice as you get older is that death can come unexpectedly.
Healthy people can pass away suddenly from things like heart attacks, and it changes your perspective on life.
Your parents won’t be around forever.
Neither will your kids.
Someone needs to make the effort to reach out first.
Ideally, parents should take the initiative, as they have more life experience.
However, if they don’t, consider being the one to extend the olive branch.
Of course, not every situation is simple.
Some parents and kids may never agree.
But at least if you try, you can say you did your best.
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