Benefits of the Changing Family Landscape

It is now estimated that between 17-20% of homes in America are multi-generational.   Increasingly, several generations opt for the financial, social and emotional support that living together affords.

In some cases, grandparents are helping to raise the next generation by moving in with their adult children.  But sometimes it’s the young adult children, now jobless, who are moving back with their parents.

Perhaps this is a real upside to the politically and financially dark landscape that we are in these days.  We need each other!   A benefit to hard times is that we change our perspectives about the glories of being “self-made” and “self-contained.”   Forget the Lone Ranger!

We’re into extended family and community these days.   So get out the board games and fire up the bar-b.   You don’t need expensive restaurants and entertainment when you have a friend at home.

Advice to Help Parents Break the Cycle of Addiction

There are many good parenting books on the market but one that I frequently return to in my practice – especially for parents of pre-teen and teen children – is “Parenting for Prevention.”   It’s particularly useful for parents who themselves are Adult Children of Alcoholics and who want to make sure they don’t raise another generation of substance abusers.

It is too easy for ACA’s to slip into some enabling behaviors!    But I think this book is a good read for parents of any nearly or clearly adolescent.    Full of common sense and easy to read with almost no “filler” – I think you’ll enjoy the simple “job descriptions” for parents and kids and the advice on how to avoid those “mixed messages”.   It’s cheap at Amazon or you can order it from a local bookstore.