It may be one of the most caring things you can do. Break the family chain of controlling behavior by being aware of the characteristics and by avoiding passing them on to your kids. Identify how you reacted to your parent as a child, and change the pattern in your adult life. That pattern probably still intervenes in your relationship with your parent, Parrott says. Forgive as best you can, on your own timetable.
Premature forgiveness is guaranteed to backfire.
Reach out, even when part of you feels hesitant. Pushy you Parrott makes numerous suggestions for the control freak who recognizes his or her own behavior. All of us live time-starved lives. We equate busyness with being important. It's the only sure cure for a case of cranky control.