Do you feel that your family treats you differently from others? Perhaps you have noticed a lack of respect in their dealings with you?

If this is the case, you will likely feel hurt by their behavior. You may also feel a sense of abandonment or betrayal, or worse, feelings of anxiety or depression.

After all, we tend to feel things more intensely when it comes to our own flesh and blood.

In this article, I’ll cover 8 warning signs that your family doesn’t respect you, followed by possible reasons, and finally, what you can do about it.

I hope reading this provides you with some clarity about your situation, as well as a way to move forward with your life.

Let’s move on to:

1) Continuous criticism
Do you feel like your family is constantly making your decisions?

It’s like you can never get it right – there’s always someone criticizing your choice of partner, clothing, or career, just to list a few things.
This is evidence of disrespect.

As an adult, you are free to make your own choices. Although your family members can share constructive feedback, they shouldn’t feel like they can’t weigh in on your decisions.

2) Release your feelings
I have often felt disrespected by some members of my extended family. When they grow up, they’ll be quick to dismiss my feelings…

If you’ve encountered this, you’ve probably heard things like:

“Stop being so sensitive,” or “Why do you take everything so seriously?”

Forget the fact that these family members hurt you with their harsh words or actions, they then have the audacity to blame you for making you upset!

This indicates a complete disregard for your feelings. It also shows that they are unwilling to look at their behavior and take responsibility for their role in the conflict.

3) Ignoring boundaries
Now, if you really want to know whether or not your family respects you, think about the boundaries you set…

You may have asked your mother to keep some information private, but she spreads it throughout the family.

Or you asked a sibling to respect your personal space and property. But for whatever reason, they keep crossing those boundaries.

Whether it’s emotional or physical, if they can’t adhere to the boundaries you set for your well-being, it’s a sign that they don’t respect you.

4) Minimizing your achievements
In an ideal world, family would support and encourage you as you achieve your goals.

In reality, it’s rarely that simple.

Take my partner, for example. He’s done a lot in his life, especially for someone coming from a small farming village.

However, his family would downplay and even mock his accomplishments. Sometimes I wonder if it comes from a place of jealousy or resentment.

Either way, it’s still a clear indication that they don’t respect him, and it’s pretty heartbreaking.

5) Talking about you

This next warning sign is easy to ignore, but it is a very clear example of disrespect.

Suppose you are sitting around the dinner table discussing everyday matters. When you start talking, your family keeps talking about you.

They do not allow you to share your opinion or bring up a new topic for discussion.

This shows that they don’t value your opinion or contribution to the conversation. I know this is a bad situation.

Don’t worry – later in the article I’ll share with you possible reasons why your family doesn’t respect you, and what to do about it.

6) Not respecting your time
Picture this – you’ve spent all day cooking, cleaning, and preparing your home to welcome your family for dinner.
It’s seven in the evening, and no one shows up. When you check your phone, maybe you got the wrong time…

no. It’s there in black and white.

Sure, your family may have some compelling excuses when they finally show up, but all it really shows is that they don’t respect your effort or time.

This translates into a lack of respect for you as a person – why is your time less valuable than anyone else’s?

7) Exclude you
Have you ever heard of family meals or get-togethers after the fact?

Do your family members “accidentally” forget to send your invitation on a regular basis?

If so, this is another warning sign that your family does not respect your involvement. For some reason, they don’t think it’s important for you to join the rest of them.

I can imagine how painful that must be – it’s happened to me with friends. But family is a whole different ball game, and being left out can be very painful.

8) Always blame you
A few years ago, two of my cousins (sisters) had a falling out. I was staying at their house. I had nothing to do with the fallout, but somehow I was blamed for the whole thing.

I remember then that I did not understand why everything was pinned on me.

But as time passed, and after seeing the behavior of these cousins towards me, I realized that it was because they did not respect me. It was easy to use me as their scapegoat.

In the end, they didn’t care about hurting my feelings in the process.

Can you relate to this?

If it’s a one-off, you can chalk it up to a misunderstanding. But if this happens often, unfortunately, it is a clear warning that your family does not respect you.

So, now that you have an idea of where you and your family will be, you might be wondering…

Why doesn’t your family respect you?

Before I get into things you can do if you feel disrespected by your family, let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you might find yourself in this situation in the first place.

However, keep in mind that these are very general reasons and do not take into account specific family dynamics or history.

You have different values and beliefs: If you go against your family’s traditions and norms, they may find it difficult to understand your lifestyle. But instead of trying to overcome differences, they may end up disrespecting your choices.
Unresolved issues: If you experience strained relationships with certain family members that have never been resolved, they may still hold on to negative feelings that lead to disrespectful behavior.
Lack of communication: If your family struggles to listen and empathize, consider your viewpoints, and ask questions, they may not respect you as a result of your lack of understanding.
Control or power dynamics: If one or more of your family members displays toxic behaviors such as controlling, they may use disrespect as a way to maintain their power over you.

Ultimately, you will have to consider your specific family situation to truly understand where this disrespect is coming from.

Why doesn’t your family respect you?

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