Living with Purpose: Guiding Young Adults into Their Late Teen Years and Beyond

From personal experience as a mom of teens and young adults, my role must modify itself in ways that support their independence, while maintaining healthy and supportive connections.

Don't get me wrong, I have "done it wrong" many times.

I can offer myself grace, as can you, because just like parenting a baby and child came without a unique-to-my-child manual, parenting a young adult is another new-to-me challenge along my journey.

I would like to offer a place to start, as you begin to navigate these changing relationships:

Thought #1:

There needs to be a balance between offering support and encouraging adult children to make their own choices.

Thought #2:

Dialogue needs to be open and honest. Stating emotion words and asking questions are great places to start. Please remind yourself to avoid criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling while engaging in these conversations-these will shut down the conversation.

Thought #3:

Both parents and adult children need to establish appropriate boundaries, and respect the others' needs.

Thought #4:

Parents need to support and encourage their adult child's personal and professional ideas and goals, without offering unsolicited advice and overstepping. Try allowing them to dream, learn by trial-and-error. Ensure they know you will be their cheerleader, and always be there through the bumps and mishaps.

Please avoid being what I term a "dream squasher :)."

Thoughts #5:

What are your values? Does faith play a role in your life? Remind yourself of what really matters as you navigate decisions and challenging situations.

I enjoy working with moms and dads at my office in Penticton, British Columbia, either individually, as a couple, or in family groupings, as we navigate these changing relationships.

It might be important to work through your own triggers and meaning-making you have brought from your own journey through childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. When you discover your triggers and automatic responses, you will be better equipped to stick with values-based parenting.

Sessions are available at

my space on Ellis Street in Penticton, or virtually through the secure Jane platform.

Your first mission is to book an initial session, either individually or together with your co-parent. These changing relationships with late teens and young adults are fully worth the effort and energy of counselling, with the understanding that new stages can lead to new and exciting experiences and expanding families.

Parenting is a challenge, and openness to personal growth reveals you are already along the path of what really matters to you, which could be (since you're reading this post), these important relationships.

-Melanie

Book Here

For a free 10-minute consultation via video, please email melanie@onejourneycounselling.com

How successfully do you feel you are navigating this teen/young adult parenting thing?

• 0%I got this! Confidence is 100%!
• 0%Someone should have warned me--challenges are huge....Help!
• 0%My kids still hang around, which tells me I am doing ok