Every parent faces the question at some point: Do I truly know my adult child? The transition from childhood to adulthood can feel like watching your child become a stranger, someone you can no longer fully protect or control. A completely different Anne was revealed to the child I had lost there.
I had no idea of the depths of her thoughts and feelings. Otto Frank's quote offers insight into how, despite our best efforts, we may never fully understand the inner workings of our childrenβespecially as they grow into adults and carve their paths. Here are three ways to gauge whether you genuinely know your adult child and some tips for navigating this ever-changing relationship. A key indicator of whether you genuinely know your adult child is whether they confide in you about their innermost thoughts and emotions.
As children, many know what they like, need, and fear. However, as adults, emotional vulnerability can become more complex. Take the example of Sheri, a mother of two grown children. Sheri was used to hearing every detail of her daughter's life growing up, but as her daughter entered her twenties, the communication became sparse and more superficial.
Sheri assumed everything was fine, but one day, during a rare heart-to-heart conversation, her daughter shared how overwhelmed and anxious she was about the future. Does your adult child open up to you like this? Or are they retreating into silence, sharing only surface-level details? Consider John, a father who thought he knew his son inside and out.
Growing up, his son was always interested in sports, but when John visited him at college, he was shocked to learn his son had switched majors to environmental science. As children become adults, they may evolve in surprising ways.
