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Is Your Mother Jealous of You?

Updated: May 24, 2022

- Do you have a strained relationship with your mother but don't know why?

- Is she competitive with you, treating you more like a rival than a daughter?

- Is she interested in your life,rarely inquiring about your career, your activities, and your kids or just simply criticizing your all your actions and life choices?

- Is she possessive of your dad, making it almost impossible for you and him to spend time alone together? Did she made fun of you saying “oh you are the favorite of your dad? Or did she paint a much worst picture of your dad growing up?

- Do you get a strong sense that she wants you to do well in life but not too well?


If this dynamic sounds all too familiar, your mom may be jealous of you. Because you didn't understand why the relationship was tense, you were left in the dark: unsupported, and emotionally abandoned.


Today, though, you can finally acknowledge your mom's envy and accept her limitations. You can stop blaming yourself for the tenseness between the two of you and see her actions with a different pair of eyes.


Reasons Why Moms Get Jealous of Their Daughters


- She's a narcissist.

Narcissistic mothers may battle crippling self-doubt in adulthood. When they were kids, their moms may treated them like accessories and not full-fledged individuals. As a result, their feelings, worries, and struggles went unnoticed and unattended. They grew up in a environment where they were to reflect well on their mom but to never outshine her.


- She's in menopause.

During menopause, a mom may feel less womanly, less desirable, and less relevant in our youth-obsessed society. She may witness her daughter attracting the attention of men when she no longer does. As a result, she can feel more anxious and less confident.


- She's possessive of her husband.

One of the most destructive things that jealous moms do is come between their daughters and their dads. Her insecurity leads her to become territorial about her husband. She doesn’t want to share him with anyone, even his own flesh and blood.


- She regrets her unfulfilled dreams.

At a time when her own possibilities may be narrowing, she sees her child’s world open up. She may wish that she had enjoyed the freedoms that young women have today: exploring dating, postponing motherhood, entering a professions, buying their own homes, and being financially independent. As such, she may be resentful of her daughter and regretful of her own life choices.