Saturday 23 June 2018

How do three fully grown adults tell their parents to get a life, literally


My sister, brother and I are all in our 20's. Some of us have families of our own. We work, have friends, pay taxes and love and nurture the people in the lives we have made for ourselves.Our parents grew up in the country. As working class people they we dependant on their family and vice versa. Oddly and conversely, my Dad and Step-mum have both raised very independent and self-sufficent people.They succeeded in doing what all parents set out to do.While us children have let go and now lead fulfilling lives of our own, our parents are still yearning for that closeness they believe all families have. I think they believe that being a family still means seeing each of us every week, still being heavily involved in our lives; even if it is not what we want or need.To say that we dont want them in our lives is a stretch, but the current attitudes and actions are alienating. The mood between all of us siblings has grown sour, dark and resentful. While our parents lament and remain sad and nostalgic.I have tried to explain that this is not uncommon for family. To accept the current relationships they have and work within those confines. That all of us still love them and there isnt much they can do to change that. However, as a result of their upbringing, this break away and different family dynamic is hard for them (in particular my Dad) to accept.A meeting has been called, and soon. My father has taken this relationship "breakdown" the hardest (we are his biological children after all) and is the one to call this meeting.Forcing a relationship wont make them happy. It wont make us happy. Un-genuine acts would only serve to insult.My feeling is that both of our parents have been served an opportunity. Grown up kids should signal a new start! They have sacrificed so much for us growing up, isnt it time for them to pursue new and interesting things in life; travel, new career, education, etc???How do I tell a parent that their love is suffocating? How do i even begin to reformulate a healthy relationship with my parents? Should i ask them start finding a new purpose in the lives? Is this situation familiar for any other redditors?I'd love to hear from the older parents on this one? via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2ywTkE2

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