Parenting is never easy, and it can feel even more difficult when your children reach adulthood. In some situations, this creates a situation in which neither side knows how to communicate effectively. In addition to personal counseling, the following tips can help you start building a new bond with your adult children.

4 Personal Counseling Tips to Help You Relate Better to Your Adult Children

1. It’s Time for Mutual Respect

Parents have difficulty relating to their adult children after having spent decades in a position of authority. Now that your kids are adults, you’ll have to learn how to relate to them on equal footing. Personal counseling can help you stay open to this change in the relationship, and it’s up to you to show that you do respect your adult children. You can do this by listening to their opinions and recognizing that you may no longer get the last word.

2. Recognize That Your Children Still Need You

Parents of adult children can feel depressed or unwanted when they feel as though their adult children no longer need them. While your children may not need you to feed them or pay their bills, this doesn’t mean that they don’t still need you.

3. Know When to Listen

When your child was younger, you constantly had a say in your child’s choices. Now that they’re adults, your input may no longer always be required. In fact, if your adult child finds a partner or marries, they’ll often turn to that individual for insight into making decisions and lifestyle choices. While this may be difficult to get used to at first, respect your child’s space and their right to make their own decisions as an adult.

4. Bond With Your Children as Adults

While the nature of your relationship with your children is changing, you can now look for new ways to bond with them. Consider setting aside one night a week to take your children and their families out to dinner. If you both like to golf or go to basketball games, that’s something else you can do together. If you feel lost, or run out of ideas, a relationship counselor may be able to offer more suggestions for bonding with your adult children.

Laurie Burns LCSW-R CGP offers relationship and personal counseling to adults in Rochester, NY, who may need a little help. Whether you need help relating to co-workers, family members, or a romantic partner, they offer the therapy that can help you smooth out the rough patches in your life. To discover more about the types of counseling they offer, visit their website or call (585) 734-6826.