As you grow old, you might tend to lose communication with your kids. This is just a fact of life, as most of your kids will eventually get married and have a family of their own. However, some parents and their kids just do not get along well, and as the kid gets older, they tend to steer farther and farther away from their parents.
Below, we will discuss the things you can do if you want to patch things up with your kids as a senior citizen. If you are living in a home for the aged care services in Townsville, then you might want to reach out to your kids more so they can visit you sometime soon.
Stop Pushing Them
It might seem counterintuitive to stop pushing them if you want to get closer, but sometimes, letting them be is the best choice you can take. Let them know that you are always available to talk, but do not call them every single day and ask them if they are ready for the huge talk. Tell them instead that you are always ready to listen and that you will be there once they are ready.
Apologise When Needed
This is the best time to let go of your pride and just say sorry if you really need to. Sometimes, you should take the initiative to say sorry even if you feel like you are not at fault. Remember: Saying sorry is the first step to reconciliation. If no one says it first, then the relationship would just continue to go sour. Just be sure that you are completely ready to say sorry. Your kids will most likely know if you are sincere or not, and they might not listen to you the next time to say sorry, so make it count.
Avoid Too Much Judgment
You have the right to tell your kids what you think about them and the life that they lead, but only to an extent. If your relationship has gone bitter, then you might not want to start talking to them again by giving them negative and unwanted judgment. You can say how you feel about their parenting, financial, and personal choices, but do not ask them to change it in any way. Also, you should make it sound positive so they would not take it the wrong way.
Don’t Bribe Them Into It
If your estranged child only sees you as an ATM, then you should avoid trying to talk to them through bribing. This wouldn’t do you both any good but instead, you will only worsen the situation. Your kid might still not be ready to talk, but if they only need money from you and you give it to them, then chances are they will agree to it, but not willingly. Always wait for them to come in their own terms so you can be sure that they are completely sincere about reconciling with you.
Test the waters before talking to your kid once again. Let them know that you want to reconcile and that you are always reachable, but never force them into it. You both are growing and ageing, and if you aren’t in good terms, then now is the time to try and patch things up.