Examples of Emotional Cage Fights in FamiliesI’ve seen a variety of emotional cage fights in therapy sessions. There are many instances where a parent or an adult child may be righteously angry. Let go of the assumption that your parent or adult child will change because you demand it or because of the visceral shock of your words. You can only change yourself—or how you react to a particular situation with your parent or your adult child. Some people are locked into anger, old and new, in unending conflict with a parent or an adult child.