Actually
@Lucycat Emotional or covert incest is a separate recognized term, though there has in more recent years been some criticism about it making the term incest far more inaccurate. Nonetheless, I know you said you might be sensitive about this thread so you don't need to read the rest if you don't want to.
It applies to scenarios where an adult demands a child fulfils an adult emotional role. Whilst obviously in sexual abuse this is demanding a sexual role from the child, with emotional incest the parent treats the child as if they were a spouse, the child can be innapproprately sexualised and the relationship between child and parent mimics problems that sexual partners would have. The parent/step-parent would refuse or be unable to keep a relationship with an adult and forces this position onto the child. It's been described as unboundaried bonding and can often see the child being forced to look after the adult, rather than the other way around.
I've experienced it to some degree though mostly I experienced the physical sexual abuse, my sister's however encountered this and I first learned of the term two or three years ago. I think it's more than just a parent unloading too much information, to ears too young to understand. I also thing that (though my perception is wildly skewed) it's normal to have points of discomfort when you realise parents are human too, needy and desperate and not perfect. I'm not saying this was the case for you, but if it were just a few incidents of a lonely parent sharing with their child maybe not - it's all very difficult to explain on the outside, only you (and maybe someone who knows you very, very well like a long-term T) might know
My father made us but one of my siblings in particular like a housewife - treating her as the sole house-keeper but I can't explain exactly how much, it wasn't like he just made her do chores or even demeaned her whilst doing them. It was a show of power over her, each time getting worse and worse. He treated her as if he were his partner or wife - a poorly and mistreated one and would throw tantrums when she couldn't or wouldn't do as he asked. As he became more (apparently) dependent he also became more childish. She began having to tell him off for silly things, but this was risky over time for both her and my other sister. He's always been overly sexual about all of us but with her he advertised her like he owned her, his perfect little wife-slave all without the actual sexual abuse of her though there were plenty of "questionable" things that I've heard about that was incredibly sexualised. Apparently it's more common with substance abusers which he most certainly was.
Anyway these are my $0.02, please don't mistake them as gospel!
