Here’s something worth sitting with: your child having a different opinion from you is not a sign that you failed as a parent. It’s actually a sign that they’re thinking. As children grow, they develop their own views on careers, relationships, money, and life in general. Some of those views will mirror yours. Some will not. That’s completely normal.
But in many families, the moment a child pushes back, questions a decision, or says “I see it differently,” the atmosphere changes. When this happens repeatedly, children think that keeping the peace matters more than telling the truth. So they stop sharing. They smile and nod on the outside while quietly carrying their real thoughts somewhere their parents will never see. You might think everything is fine because there’s no argument. But what you’re actually getting is performance, not connection.