How to Parent Now That Our Kids Are Adults

Parenting is 50/50.

When we have newborns, we are delighted with them. It’s almost surreal how interesting they are. We love them so deeply that it hurts.

And, we are overwhelmed, frustrated when we can’t figure out what they need, and unsure about our parenting abilities.

Both sides are true at the same time.

I remember being up in the middle of the night with each of my infants saying to myself, “I CAN’T do this. I NEED sleep.”

But, somehow, I did do it. Even without sleep, I figured it out.

We ask for help, prioritize the “to do” list, settle for good enough and find satisfaction in the bare minimum.

Along the winding road of parenting, as our kids grow from babies to be young adults, we forget that there are still both sides. Parenting is 50/50. Just like the rest of our human existence - LIFE is 50/50.

As parents, we buy into the idea that if we are doing things “right” there won’t be any problems. But that’s not true. There are always going to be challenges, no matter how “perfectly” we parent.

All people have challenges. We do. Our friends do. Our family does. Our kids do too.

So, maybe, we can stop thinking that our kids shouldn’t have problems. We can drop the fight with reality. It is NOT a problem that our kids have challenges. It is in no way a reflection of you. Or your parenting. Or something you can fix.

It’s normal. It’s life.