If the eldest daughter experience is like being your family's emotional weather vane, growing up with narcissistic parents turns you into a full-time meteorologist—constantly tracking, predicting, and preparing for emotional storms. While many eldest daughters develop a sixth sense for others' needs, those raised in narcissistic family systems, particularly by Baby Boomer or Silent Generation parents, face an additional layer of complexity: the requirement to excel while remaining in your assigned supporting role.

Being the only daughter isn't just a family role—it's an experience that leaves a lasting imprint. Without siblings to share the spotlight—or the pressure—only daughters often become the emotional center of their families. Sometimes they're praised for their maturity, sometimes weighed down by it. Over the years, I've worked with many women who grew up as only daughters, and I've also had the privilege of raising one myself. In my journey as a parent of an only daughter, I continuously work to show up as the mom she needs now, adapting and growing alongside her.