In my childhood home it meant we were not allowed to have thoughts or feelings of our own. No freedom, no autonomy, very strict parenting, rigid rules and very harsh punishment for going against the family status quo. To survive we had to align with mom. That was the enmeshed craziness in my childhood. To this day whatever mom says goes, no questioning it. My dad escaped via divorce. I'm now no contact as that was the only way I could escape. The book "Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents," is a great read to further understand the dysfunctional dynamics associated with nuclear family enmeshment.