Creating Enriching Family Dynamics with Adult Children

Show notes:

This I Start Wondering Conversation, which is the third in a three-part series, discusses the end of active parenting and how to create enriching family dynamics with adult children. 

Topics that are addressed:

• Mothers often put young children’s needs in front of their own. As we get older and our children reach adulthood, it’s important to respect and honor our own needs.

• It’s important for women to transition into a support role instead of an active role at this time in our and our children’s lives, which means supporting them in making their own decisions and then learning any lessons from those choices. 

• Being in this role can bring older women great joy as these young adults make decisions about careers, where to live, choosing a life partner, and possibly getting married and starting a family.

• Being a woman who is reaching 60 in today’s world differs from previous generations. It’s important to learn from our mothers’ experiences, whether those are health or lifestyle choices, and also make choices that are aligned with where we are today.

• Many women today are opening up more dialogue and negotiations with their children in making decisions than the previous generation of women did. 

• Flexibility is important to meet everyone’s priorities when planning family gatherings, such as when, how, and where holidays and family events will be celebrated

• It’s important to work through our own emotional issues that emerge.  This allows us to not to place our reactions on our family and also to model self-growth for our children.

• It’s important to hold and respect individual boundaries. This transition phase to having older adults can be the start of a very exciting chapter for older women.
  

Featured on This Podcast:

Jenni de Jong, I Start Wondering columnist, who is a licensed massage therapist, craniosacral therapist Diplomat, and mother of 2 adult children.

Kim Painter, who is a licensed physical therapist, licensed massage therapist, craniosacral therapist Diplomat, and mother of 4 adult children.

Resources:

Part 1 of this podcast series: I Start Wondering Conversation: Navigating an Empty Nest, Onset of Menopause & Changing Partnership 

Part 2 of this podcast series: I Start Wondering Conversation: Parenting’s Changing Chapter

I Start Wondering Column: Helping Those in Need by Doing Less