Growing up a "glass child" | Siblings & high-needs families (with TEDx speaker Alicia Maples)

“Be a good girl. Don’t cause problems. Make Mom and Dad happy.”
For Glass Children, those words become a life sentence.

In this episode, I sit down with TEDx speaker Alicia Meneses Maples, who first named the Glass Child experience. Together, we unpack what it means to grow up in a home where your sibling’s addiction, illness, or special needs take center stage—and you disappear in the background.

We talk about:
1. The exhaustion of never having your needs met
2. Why so many Glass Children end up in toxic relationships
3. Being your parent’s emotional support instead of their child
4. The pain of realizing your parents may never change
5. And how therapy, distance, and self-acceptance can finally set you free

If you’ve ever been the “good kid” who learned to stay quiet, this conversation will make you feel seen.


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🎙 More from this episode
1. Our guest speaker, Alicia Meneses Maples: http://iseeglasschildren.com/
2. Alicia’s TEDx on Recognizing Glass Children:   • TEDxSanAntonio - Alicia Maples - Recognizi...  

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