Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
I suspect most parents DO know more than their kids. They have the benefit of age, experience, objectivity and not being blinded by lust and hormones. Ultimately you can't choose their spouses for them and you DO have to let them get on with it, but trust me - watching your daughter choose the wrong man when you knew all along that he wasn't good for her is something my 87 year old grandmother still deals with on a daily basis and brings her regularly to tears. And she was a brilliant mother, with a fantastic husband who brought her kids up in tough times.
LOL Kwilts! I can ABSOLUTELY confirm that youngest Miss LB is definitely into boys. You only have to see her look at Justin Beiber to see that...
Now ELDEST Miss LB doesn't bother with boys at all.
CD - I automatically pass all "fixing" stuff on to Mr LB! They hero worship him for being able to "fix" stuff!
It's great that their dad tells them he loves them. My dad went through my entire childhood without saying it once. I was 22 when I married and it was the first time that I'd ever heard him say he was "very proud" of me. I used to bring him home report cards with grade A's across the board and they'd disappear into his cupboard. He'd say nothing to me.
I only found out years later that he'd take them to work to show off to his friends. Not ONCE did he show that he was pleased with me and all I was trying to do was get some affirmation from him.
Now he's very sick and he's mellowed like Nam's dad. He regularly says "I love you" and he's much more open with his feelings. It repaired all the years of him NOT saying it. He's a messed up, wounded, and slightly crazy individual but he's MY dad and I guess I won't be getting another.
Relationships are bloody complicated, aren't they?
And I love the sound of your OH. He is definitely a keeper!
I think the role of parents is to advise and guide their kids - and that includes telling them when they're being a bit of an arse and advising them against/in favour of a course of action. That's part of being a dad to me.
It's particularly important when they are U18 - when they're older you may have to be more diplomatic about advice, bearing in mind they are now adults, but keeping mum about them doing something daft means you acquiesce or condone what they may be doing and that's not good parenting in my view. Other views are available, although they'e wrong, obviousy.
I'll let you know when I'm dealing with my 18 year olds JB!
I remember the mantra "You'll do as you're told until you're 18" being drummed into me as a kid.
I turned 18 and the mantra simply changed to "as long as you're under my roof"
I left pretty soon afterwards and the feeling of freedom, even now twenty years later when I point out to my mum that I'm 38 and I'll do what I bloody well like is GREAT!