No matter how old you or your parents are, a parent’s controlling or critical behavior doesn’t seem to change. Parents have a special knack for pushing your buttons or inserting themselves into your adult life. Some parents are overly controlling, constantly critical or intrusive in obvious ways; others are less apparent, subtle. The annoying behavior… Read More
It is not unusual for adult children—be they 25, 35, 55, or older—to suddenly act like their 10-year-old selves with their parents. It can feel as if you have no control over the situation, but you do have choices in an effort to stop bending to parents’ wishes and demands.… Read More
As a parent, you may have thought your young adult’s arrival home was a stopover, a year, tops, until he or she found another job or finished her education. Wake-up call: Yours may be far too content to think about leaving. And, he’s not the only one.… Read More
In most families, siblings don’t contribute equally to the care of their parents. The research on the subject shows that the share is often disproportionate, creating resentment and argument between siblings…… Read More
You probably hadn’t planned on living with your parents again, or having your parents or another relative settle in with you and your family. Living with a relative solves many financial problems, but, like expectations, you must straighten out the details in the beginning and adjust them along the way so everyone feels the arrangement is fair.… Read More
Boundaries separating you from family occur automatically when you’re independent, formed either by the physical distance or the amount of contact you orchestrate. When you live together again with family, boundaries can blur rapidly. One of the first orders of business is to install ground rules that reshuffle the boundaries to ensure everyone’s freedom and comfort.… Read More
With the divorce rate still hovering at fifty percent, it’s very likely that your mother or father or both will have a new love interest at some point, if they don’t already. When your parent has been widowed or divorced, your bond with him or her changes – sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently and almost certainly… Read More