Why Being the Black Sheep of the Family is Becoming the New Normal

QUEENSLAND, Australia September 2014 – The new generations of X and Y are bringing contemporary ideas of how family members function and communicate with each other. The ‘black sheep of the family’ is becoming more and more common as fewer people accept parental advice, conform to family expectations or keep family secrets, and the traditional notion that children should be submissive to their elders is fast becoming outdated.

However during this transitional phase, family members that feel different to the rest of their family are experiencing emotional exhaustion when having to attend family gatherings, like weddings, christenings and Christmas parties. The stress and anxiety from the pressure to conform to family expectations and topics of conversation impacts on relationships, careers and sometimes manifests as an illness.

According to emotional strength trainer Amanda Foy, the family dynamic of the previous generation belongs to a time when “the world was a smaller place, when travel wasn’t so easy and there was no Facebook or Twitter to start building relationships with people outside your inner circle”. www.amandafoy.com.au

“Family used to be a very close part of a child’s upbringing, especially for Baby Boomers. Parents had the final word, and many kids in that time would have become accustomed to hearing ‘that would never have happened when I was young’,” says Amanda. “But through global communication there has been a widening of views and greater opportunities to ‘find your own tribe’, so to speak.”

Amanda believes the place family has had in societal make-up has changed, due to the awakening of Generation X and Y, and a realisation that “their parents grew up in a different time and place, with different responsibilities and a different economy”.

“The black sheep of the family is the relative who looks around and thinks, ‘did this lot buy me at a supermarket?’ because they have very few things in common with anyone and can’t figure out how they fit in to the family dynamic,” Amanda says. “But those people that don’t fit in are now able to follow their own truth. As soon as people realise that their family is there to teach them life lessons – both good and bad – the emotional exhaustion will melt away. You can happily exist in that place with your family even if you don’t fit in, or if that’s not an emotionally or physically safe place to be.” www.amandafoy.com.au

Amanda is a Master Communicator that utilises a unique mix of skills, life experiences and gifts to help clients understand the foundational connection of what communication means in life. Amanda has a unique method of identifying where life stories became a piece of emotional baggage, exhaustion and blockages in women, men and children.

Discover how Amanda can help people embrace being the black sheep of the family without having to cut them loose and avoid emotional exhaustion at www.amandafoy.com.au.

Contact Information

Amanda Foy

The Emotional Strength Trainer

Amanda Foy - The Emotional Strength Trainer

(61) 0428 160 299

bookings@amandafoy.com.au