Events

Relationships between parents and their adult children are often emotionally intense. Although usually positive, these relationships can often include feelings of irritation, disappointment, and anger, which can escalate to severe difficulties, including estrangement. Parents’ complaints about their grown children are so pervasive and frequent, which suggests that many parents believe that the more they complain about their children, the longer God will let them live. There is a saying that resonates with many, if not most, parents: “Small children, small aggravations, big children, big aggravations!” In this presentation, sources of conflict between angry parents and their upset children will be discussed. Empirically validated strategies of de-escalation and ways to strengthen parent-adult child relationships will be offered. Space is limited.