Getting Time Back From The Family

For many people ages 50 and up, we're adapting to a part of our life in which our normal roles are going through significant changes. Some of us are shifting into caretaking for aging parents while shifting away from the caretaking role we've had with our kids. The norms we've been used to, sometimes for decades, are undergoing great changes.

Some of my friends and clients in this age group talk about the difficulty they have in regaining their own sense of priority and desire apart from those they've adopted as spouses, parents, co-parents, and partners. Some are challenged by setting aside the things they want to do in order to take on more responsibility for family members. 

My own newfound time freedom since my son got his driver's license has been surprisingly daunting because I'm no longer spending 15-20 hours a week driving him places. And the default reaction of doing more work hasn't actually happened. I have a friend who talks about her difficulty sustaining her own interests because her family is still in the transition between kids at home and the empty nest. She starts a project and then the holidays come, or graduation happens, or prom is coming, or ??? 

The main point I want to make in this video is that discovering or rediscovering your own wants, needs, desires, and goals can be difficult after so many years of letting others' needs be your deciding factor. This isn't a pathology, so don't make it into a disease. It's just a new set of habits waiting to be developed. Tune in for more, and if you are ready to talk to someone about this kind of time in your life, schedule a free coaching session with me at https://bit.ly/BestNextStepCall

#emptynesters #parenting #agingparents