adult children Archives - Page 4 of 6 - Aging, caregiving and the journey through the second half of life

What’s Really Going On Here?

January 6, 2018

Adult children and aging parents view the same situation from very different perspectives. And both are absolutely sure their interpretation of its meaning as well as their ideas about how to deal with it are correct. Not surprising, each party…

When the last parent is gone…

December 18, 2017

When The Last Parent Is Gone By David Solie When the last parent is gone, Your heart cannot right itself, Things that should help, Heeding warning signs Repairing loose ends Bracing for impact All…

Moving In…

December 17, 2017

When an aging parent moves in, no one can predict how it will work out. What looks good in the beginning can come undone in sudden and distressing ways. Adult children need to frame moving in as “one step” in…

Childhood Matters

December 2, 2017

The residue of childhood carries with it complex feelings about aging parents that limit objectivity, exaggerate responsibilities and increase emotional vulnerability. This distorted landscape makes it impossible to receive the approval adult children desperately seek from their aging parents in…

Perfect Gift for Caregivers of Aging Parents

November 3, 2017

Below is the complete set, all 20 cards of the Aging Parents Dance Cards deck. Together, they offer bite-sized portions of David Solie’s philosophy, insights, reframing strategies and work arounds that all help to reduce the complexity and uncertainty of…

How To Reduce Power Struggles With Aging Parents

September 13, 2017

How To Reduce Power Struggles With Aging Parents is a video slideshow I created to outline some of the underlying issues that complicate communication between adult children and their aging parents. In addition to providing new insights about their causes,…

When Aging Parents Turn Abusive Towards The Caregiver

August 25, 2017

There is a population of adult children that are struggling to care for angry parents. In most cases, these caregivers are trying to make the most out of a difficult situation (little or no planning, last minute complications, minimal resources,…

Caregiver’s Context: The Big Picture

May 25, 2017

Sometimes the big picture helps makes sense of what we are experiencing. This is certainly true for caregivers of aging parents who feel overwhelmed and exhausted from the complexity and uncertainty of their work. The Caregiver’s Context Mind Map offers…

Why Would An Aging Parent Say That?

April 4, 2017

A reoccurring theme in caregiver support groups is disparaging and derogatory comments made by aging parents to their adult children who are struggling to do the right thing. Voicing anger and bitterness about how their life has turned out, these…

Failing In Place

July 23, 2016

New arrivals to our caregiver support group confirm what’s being reported in the medical literature. Dementia in the land of aging parents has reached a tipping point and now become the overwhelming concern of 80-90% of our attendees. The vast…