Relating to adult children

Letting go

We are never quite ready to let go of our children once they have grown up. It can cause great pain but we have to do it for their sake and our own. The invisible cord between a mother and a child pays itself out as a child grows up but it never breaks. As a child becomes more independent, so it has to stretch more and more. The strength of this cord is hard for any mother to describe – it cannot be denied and it cannot be destroyed. It may become thinner as a child matures but it’s strength does not weaken – it just changes in nature.

A broken heart – a mother’s pain on parting

a broken heart - a mother's pain at parting

My precious daughter is home for a season

at summit

Love: letting go, fear and freedom

love and letting go

Do dads experience empty nest syndrome?

dads and empty nest

Parenting adult children, hatchlings and vulnerability

parenting adult children

When you’re missing your children

I miss you

Saying goodbye never gets easier

saying goodbye

Establishing boundaries

When your children are in their 20s, your relationship with them changes and at first it may be rather like riding a seesaw until you hit the right balance. New boundaries have to be established on both sides. Issues arise with respect to communication, how much time to spend together, how much information to share, when to give advice and when to keep silent.

Parenting style quiz: parting 20-something kids

parenting style quiz

Tough love for adult children

love tough

Think before you make that call

keep contact with adult children

Unhealthy mother-son relationships

mother and son

Celebrations and gifts

A present of time on Mother’s Day

hand print

Unique gifts for adult children

gifts