Family Connections: Acceptance…and the Art of Parenting Adult Children

Most people are very familiar with the five stages of childhood: Infancy, Toddler, early childhood (3-8) middle childhood (ages 9-11), and adolescence (ages 12-18). However, the stages of parenting are harder to define – it’s not based on our age or other milestones. The stages of parenting are unique to our own life experiences – and as unique as your adult child.

Ironically, the longest stage of parenting is during your child’s adult years – which may well be the most confusing and baffling stage of all. They’ve developed into adults and we’ve developed into…what? We may not be aware of our own need for development – understanding how our role has changed and learning what to do differently as a parent.

This change can be a complex process, especially hard when we see them challenged as adults: jobhunting, career difficulties, relationships, money, housing, or any type of health issue.

Join us to learn about accepting the changes in your role when it comes to parenting your adult children. Whether it’s creating healthy boundaries instead of hovering, offering practical guidance instead of opinions, observing instead of intruding, there’s a lot we can learn about the art of parenting our adult children.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Attendees learn how to balance both support and autonomy with their emerging adult, so they can foster a positive, healthy relationship where both can thrive.
• Acceptance Factor: Parents of adult children understand the opportunities for their own personal growth during this stage to create an adult family with room for mutual support and growth.
• Social Justice Factor: Parents recognize their own biases and opinions when it comes to their adult child’s beliefs and choices, and trust their adult child as the expert in their own life.