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There has been a substantial increase in the number of people getting divorced later in life, a phenomenon referred to as “gray divorce.” For people who get divorced near or during their senior years or around retirement age, it can be difficult to manage the changing nature of your life while also attempting to manage relationships with children you have who are probably well into adulthood.
Here are a few tips for continuing to have strong relationships with your adult children while navigating gray divorce.
- Know your role: You are still the parent, and even well into adulthood your children will still look at you as their role model and come to you for answers. It’s easy for parents to think of their adult children as just another peer, but the role you have in their life will always be that of a parent, even as you age and your adult children do what they can to help you out. Try to avoid a role reversal.
- Be cordial: Avoid disparaging the other parent in front of your children. Even adult children can feel caught between parents when they get divorced, and you should make sure to support healthy relationships as much as possible.
- Avoid creating loyalty issues: This goes along with the previous point, but avoid trying to get your adult children to side with you over their other parent. In addition, avoid speaking and ranting about the divorce in such a way that it could damage your children’s own perception of their relationships.
- Don’t be afraid to accept help: All this said, don’t be afraid to accept help. Sometimes your children will have valid concerns about you and will want to help you out of a place of love. While you don’t always need to accept that help, sometimes it can be beneficial to do so.
For more tips, contact an experienced Minnesota divorce lawyer at Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A.
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