Remember parenting a preschooler? Or if not, were you a doting aunt or uncle? Raising children, or helping nurture those of others, is an incredible roller coaster.
Today many of us boomers are riding another roller coaster, caring for our aging parents. This ride has its own set of highs and lows, but real nonetheless.
My goal is to help my peers deal with their aging parents, as I’ve done for 14 years working in health care settings. And while I know each relationship is unique, I’ve also observed similaries.
“I slipped into this new role, seemingly out of the blue,” one Boomer said. “My mother-in-law, a wonderful home decorator, asked me for advice on a picture frame. I’m not even good at that.”
As time passes we move from an influencer to an advocate: one who speaks for our parent when he or she can’t.
Is this easy? Not always. Is it frustrating? Yes, for both generations. While it’s true we can recycle some parenting lessons we learned long ago, we’ll definitely do some tweaking. Our parents are still our parents. End of story.
Dealing with my own parents, who died 6 or 7 years ago, I realized the need for connection. In this blog you’ll hear from professionals. You’ll also hear from those traveling this journey today.
We’ll ask: How can I understand my changing parent? Deal with a difficult parent? How can I advocate well?
I’d love to hear from you. Anything relating to aging parents is fair game.
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