Great essay! One thing I have been thinking about lately is that the expectation that parents will have little influence on adult children really reduces the psychological benefits of having children. Specifically it makes it harder to adjust your identity from thinking just about yourself to thinking about your role as patriarch or matriarch of a lasting family.
Great essay! One thing I have been thinking about lately is that the expectation that parents will have little influence on adult children really reduces the psychological benefits of having children. Specifically it makes it harder to adjust your identity from thinking just about yourself to thinking about your role as patriarch or matriarch of a lasting family.
Which is an expectation, not a reality, unless the expectation induces behavior.
Most adult children appreciate some level of advice and support from their parents.
But your point stands.