In the course of our aging journey, we get to a point where we begin to rely on our children to take some decisions and for some other things. This sometimes causes conflict among our children, which if not handled properly, can tear the family apart.
When it comes to caring for an aging parent, the child who shoulders most of the burden may have resentment against other siblings who choose to ignore how much care their parents need. And sometimes the cause of the conflict may be deeper than we think, it might be about inheritance or unfairness.
Good communication and respect are very important in maintaining good relationship and resolving family conflicts. Click To TweetThe children who shoulder the burden of taking care of their parents may feel more entitled to their parents’ property, while the others who are not involved in taking care of their parents may feel that the children taking care of their parents are using the opportunity to spend their parents’ money.
For the children to have a good relationship with one another and agree on how to take care of their parents, maintaining very good communication and respect is very important. In a family setting, good communication is key. To facilitate this, the children and their parents should always meet to discuss important issues about the family; they can all meet up at an agreed designated place. But if there are bitter arguments and name calling every time they meet and communication breaks down, then the issues may have gone to the point where the family needs external help.
To have external help, the family may agree to go for mediation which is a voluntary process that can help resolve family conflicts. It is a process that enables people to work things out and resolve their differences with the help of a third party who is neutral and who is called a ‘mediator’.
Mediators don’t judge, give legal advice, provide counseling or write documents. All they do is to assist parties in arriving at their own decisions on how best to resolve the issues at hand. If you need further guidance on this, feel free to reach out. I am happy to help.
