Don't Bite Your Tongue

10 Tips for Communicating with your Adult Children

Know the environment: Things ain’t what they used to be so make sure you know the realities of life today.

Know yourself:  What are your motives? Your child, brilliant psychologist that all children are, will assess your motives so you should, too.

Give up fantasy and deal with reality: You may want life and your children  to be perfect, but it isn’t and they aren’t , so enjoy what you have.

Take the long view: Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your children or grandchildren be fully mature in a day or even a year…

Expect the unexpected and be flexible enough to change plans.

Don’t bite your tongue, but don’t blurt out every thought you have.  Instead of using energy to squelch yourself, use that energy to figure out how to say what you want to say so it can be heard.

Be forgiving: We all make mistakes, all of us are rude sometimes or unintentionally hurtful. Forget holding a grudge!

Talk to your kids about money, yours and Thiers. So you both know what is available for future crises.

Don’t play “go between”  between your kids or your kids and your spouse. Now that you are all adults, kids can and should create their own individual relationships with siblings and each parent.

Get a life! Now that your children are grown, share whatever wisdom or skills you have with someone. Make the world a better place.