- Having Difficult Conversations Sean Leary 14:49
When to begin the conversationĀ
-
For most families, parents will be in their 70ās, adult children in MidlifeĀ
-
During the holidays or other special occasionsĀ
-
Start early, donāt wait for the crisis, decisions made under pressure can be difficultĀ
-
Special note to those with no children/petition a trusted family member (niece, nephew)Ā
Beginning the conversationĀ
-
Thinking about the future of growing āoldā when we are healthy is a good way to startĀ
-
Donāt liming the conversation to just health, discuss all aspects, finances, our wishes for ourselves, end of life decisionsā¦.keep these conversations ongoingĀ
-
Complexities as we get older, prone to scams, families living further apart, etcā¦Ā
-
Resistance to asking for help, normalā¦Ā
-
Readiness, lack of models, facing an unwelcome life stageĀ
Purposeful conversations:Ā Between parents and adult children can be challenging, but equally important.Ā Family meetings can help develop common goals and create a plan that guides decision making.Ā Here are some suggestions on how to get the conversation started.Ā Ā Ā
-
Parents (aging) take the leadĀ
-
Parents (aging) can consider this a partnership with the adult childĀ
-
Adult children can express their feelings, ask questions, what can adult children offer with their skills and areas of interest.Ā Ā Ā
-
Discussions need to include finances, housing needs, health, end of life wishesĀ Ā
-
Consider taking āmeeting minutesā then distribute to the involved partiesĀ
-
Long distance communications made easy now with zoom/skype meetingĀ Ā
-
Goal is to develop a plan to convey wishesā¦.update as circumstances changeĀ
Why is this so hard?Ā
-
Financial affairs are a private matter,Ā Ā
-
Family dynamics, not first marriage, blended familiesĀ
-
Facing increased medical expensesĀ
-
Death expenses are very costly, $10K plus, people donāt want to discuss deathĀ
-
Wills/Estate plans can be complexĀ Ā
Already a Member? Login Here.
Not Yet a Member? Join the Conversation Today!