by Marilyn Murray Willison (Author), Bea Lewis (Author)
My Kids Are All Grown Up, So Why Are they Still Driving Me Crazy? How To Get Along With Your Adult Children, Their Spouses and Other Aliens By Bea Lewis with Marilyn Murray Willison If you have adult children (i.e., if your kids are grownups), your parenting skills may need a refresher course. -Do your adult kids think you live in the Stone Age? -Do they ignore any advice you give them? -Do your adult children still battle over which sibling is mom or dad's favorite? -Do your grown kids see you as their personal ATM machine? -Does your daughter-in-law treat you like a second class citizen? -Do you feel left out when your son or daughter spends more time with the in-laws? If you have answered "yes'' to any of the above questions, you desperately need this guide. "My Kids Are All Grown Up, So Why Are They Still Driving Me Crazy?"was written to help you to be a happy and harmonious parent to your adult children during what some experts now call the second-stage parenting phase. (And because we're living longer, this phase is far longer than when we were parents to little kids ) Using real-life scenarios - coupled with advice and opinions from a variety of experts - each chapter focuses on one of today's complicated intergenerational issues such as "adult sibling rivalry, '' "money and inheritance'' (i.e., when giving money to an adult child is more harmful than helpful). One chapter explains the underlying causes for the "mother-in-law/daughter-in-law conflicts'' with tips for resolution. Other chapters offer suggestions for "dealing with grandkids in mixed-marriages, '' "adult kids who return to the nest, '' "coping with your child's divorce, '' and "how to appreciate your gay or lesbian child.'' More than anything else, this humorous and heartfelt book helps readers learn how to accept their adult children - not as they wish they would be - but as they are. "Bea Lewis created an outlet for the wise advice she shared with her newspaper audience. Her guide shows parents how to accept their grown children for who they are - not who they wish they were. '' Anne Rodgers, former Palm Beach Post features editor "A wise, funny, compassionate and practical guide for parents who are struggling to navigate the often- confusing terrain of modern parent/adult child relationships. If you have questions about how to deal with your adult child, Bea Lewis has the answers. Highly recommended '' Joshua Coleman, Ph.D. Psychologist and Co-Chair, Council on Contemporary Families "Bea Lewis offers the needed solutions for the problems that gnaw at parents of adult children. Terrific " LeslieBeth Wish, Ed.D. Psychologist and is the family relationship columnist for www.qualityhealth.com, a top- ten health site.
Author Biography
Bea Lewis is the mother of three adult daughters (which is why she colors her hair.) She has five gorgeous granddaughters (who are now her daughters' problems), and one fabulous prince (whose mother already dislikes the girl he will marry someday.) In addition, she recently acquired two step-grandchildren (which means buying more birthday presents.) When Bea, a staff writer for Newsday in New York, retired to Florida, she decided that the sun and sand weren't enough, and so she returned to journalism. For five years, her weekly column on parent/adult child relationships was a popular feature in the Palm Beach Post. Married for almost half a century, Bea and her husband, Ed, live in Boynton Beach, Florida.