Let’s talk about parenting adult children.
There’s a big difference in calling your kids to berate them about something you don’t like to offer unsolicited judgement and in them calling you to ask what you think and wanting your advice. Your feelings on the subject may very well be the same but the package those feelings are in won’t get marked “return to sender” if your grown kids actually come to you to see what you think.
I’m sure my kids won’t come to me with everything or even agree with my stance, but already in their 20s I get the calls about business, big decisions, friendships, relationships, and life advice – and they’re my absolute favorite phone calls to get.
Be approachable. Be unconditionally loving, which is not the same as being blindly supportive. I hope the relationships with my adult kids are so they know they can come to me, we can disagree or agree, but they’ll always know I have a primary desire to understand them and help them walk through anything difficult. I also pray that God puts the right words in my mouth for effective delivery so they hear me as well.
So to all the parents out there with kids still at home – those little windows of communication they open for you today will be the key to earning influence later. Be intentional with them. Their feelings are real and their minds are learning how to process and more importantly who they can rely on to help their brains quiet in the future.
Deeper Than a Puddle 