He doesn't want your approval...he's seeking the approval of someone who stunted his growth as a child. The hardest part of this journey is to understand that we didn't screw them up as children. We, unfortunately, came along after they had stuffed the emotional hurt down so deep that they wouldn't, couldn't talk about it. It's called denial and then something later in life, be it a life transition or something else will bring those old stuffed feelings back to the surface and that's when we become the person (authority figure) that they lash out at.
We have to just let them go, cut their teeth on the life that they were denied and be there are friends for now.
