What is PermaParenting?

A great deal has been said about Emerging Adulthood – that period of independent exploration or individualism for young adults that sometimes lasts until their late twenties. These adult children attend college longer, move back home, explore career choices, etc. What about the parents of these young adults?

In the past, independence was the general rule of thumb and encompassed cutting ties completely thus allowing an adult child to learn and grow towards independence without interference from their parents. They earn their own money, make their own decisions, and fail or soar of their own accord.

In other words, parents used to think they were done!

Empty Nest Syndrome sets in at this point. Failing to accept non-communication with their adult children and failing another alternative, PermaParenting emerged. Like a business manager who fails to comprehend the Information Age and is stuck in the Industrial Age, parents continue to parent for the lack of a better option.

Showing up at games or performances is not the answer. Offers of unwanted parental advice backlash. Cautions, nutritional concerns, questions about friends and career choices make poor conversation. Indefatigable parental energy seeks every possibility, but enthusiasm turns to frustration to exasperation, then to abandonment. Rebuffed at every turn, parents conclude that parenting is futile, and they find themselves coming full circle back to an empty nest.

There is an alternative process that can be set into motion.

The 7-Step Guide to Family Building offers new tools to assist you in cultivating an adult relationship with your adult children.