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Protecting parents I was listening to the radio today and heard the song "Mother Mother" by Tracy Bonham. That's of little relevance to this discussion, but it's what kicked of this line of thinking. I know there are things I have kept/keep from my parents, for what I would call their own good. Generally these are things to keep them from unnecessary worry, and things like that. I know that this pracice carries among other members of my family. Does everyone do this? Also, does this cause an emotional distance between children and parents? |
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ROUS
David ,
Friday, 6-30-06 2:15 PM |
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re: Protecting parents I think we all test this out early on - when we really don't know what should or should not be kept from parents. Knowing what to not say and when to not say it is often a sign of maturity, especially with those who are close to you. For instance, I know that some information, if revealed to my parent, will take on qualities that make it completely unrecognizable - so I avoid saying anything at all. In the end, everyone's happy, less disturbed and life is good. On the other hand, parents like to be kept "in the loop". The problem becomes determining how big this loop is. Parents and adult children should have slightly intersecting, but not identical, loops. It probably also has something to do with how well the parent does at honoring confidences. I have found this to be true in my own case. I think some emotional distance between parents and children is healthy. |
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Dr. Laura,
Friday, 6-30-06 4:16 PM |
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re: Protecting parents I feel hononred that the great Dr. Laura has taken time out of her day to honor us with her great wisdom. :) |
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Zach,
Friday, 6-30-06 8:23 PM |