If you’ve got a kid over 18—whether they’re heading to college, living on their own, or still under your roof—your relationship with them is evolving. Some of the changes might be great, and some might be confusing or difficult to navigate. It can be hard knowing your child doesn’t need you as much as they once did, or perhaps needs you too much. It can be challenging to communicate or offer guidance without pushing them away. Or maybe you’re wondering how to stay close and support them as their life goes in a new direction. Whatever your current relationship with your young-adult child, and whatever what you want it to be, this episode has got you covered. I’m chatting with author and family coach Cynthia Wand about the inevitable changes that come with parenting at this stage. You’ll learn how to navigate conflict and communicate better, balance your role as a mother with your child’s need for agency and, most important, establish a bond with your child that’s different but stronger than ever before.
Among the topics Cynthia and I discuss:
- The most common ways the parent/child relationship changes as your child gains independence
- Issues and conflicts that can crop up after your child leaves home—and how to handle them
- Why you might want to negotiate how often to talk or text with your child who’s left home—and what to do if they need more space than you do
- How to shift your parenting style as your child gets older, both to manage your own expectations and to connect with your kid
- How to strike that delicate balance between guiding your child and allowing them to take ownership of their lives
- The new and surprising ways your kid may need you as they venture into adulthood
- The questions to ask your child before they leave for college or embark on the next stage of their life
- How to support child who is having trouble launching
- Why and how to establish new rituals with your young-adult child
Plus, we reveal the one question you should ask yourself before offering your child financial support, and Cynthia helps you reframe this parenting phase as a time of renewed freedom, personal fulfillment, and a beautiful new relationship with your child.
About Our Guest
For over 27 years, transformational life coach Cynthia Wand has been assisting individuals, couples and families in the field of personal development and spiritual growth. In addition to her one-on-one coaching practice, she also leads corporate and personal retreats and presentations, teaching foundational principles of heart centered, authentic communication, boundary setting and self-care practices for a healthier work/life balance.
For more than 30 years, Cynthia has been a certified Master Facilitator with the Virtues Project, a global initiative that inspires the practice of virtues in everyday life. In the family realm, facilitators help parents bring out the best in their children by speaking the language of virtues, setting virtues-based boundaries, and becoming mentors that encourage children to become compassionate, courageous, respectful, confident and purposeful.
As the mother of two adult daughters and three grandchildren, Cynthia has been working more often with families of adult children and helping parents balance empty nesting with cultivating healthy, balanced and thriving relationships. She and her husband of 40 years, Steven, are also the co-authors of a book, Living the Heartlife. To read more about Cynthia and her work, visit her website.
About More Beautiful
Founded by journalist Maryann LoRusso, the More Beautiful Project is a podcast, online magazine and community for women navigating midlife. Join Maryann and her guests on the More Beautiful Podcast as they strive for a life that’s more joyful, more fulfilling and more beautiful than ever before. Because this is not your mama’s midlife.
Check out more episodes of the More Beautiful Podcast.
Please note that this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to replace individualized medical advice.
