Still Talking
The Still Talking Library

One family question at a time.

Search 20 articles about boundaries, money, work, relationships, digital life, and rebuilding trust with an adult child.

20 practical articlesNewest first
Communication

Small Everyday Strains Can Be Hard on an Older Heart

Learn which everyday situations can add cardiovascular strain, the heart attack and cardiac arrest signs families should recognize, and when to call 911.

8 min readEditorially reviewed
Conflict and Repair

Do Not Pull Your Child Into Your Fight

When adults argue, they sometimes drag children in to pick a side. It feels like seeking fairness. It is actually asking a child to betray someone they love. The damage lasts.

7 min readEditorially reviewed
Communication

Summer Heat and Your Aging Parent

Your parent refuses to turn on the air conditioning because it costs too much. You worry because heat kills more older adults than any other weather event. Here is how to have that conversation without making it a fight.

7 min readEditorially reviewed
Communication

When You and Your Adult Child Disagree About Politics

Political disagreement in a family is rarely just about policy. It often feels like a verdict on how you raised them. The relationship does not have to lose.

7 min readEditorially reviewed
Family Relationships

When Your Adult Child Becomes a Parent

The arrival of a grandchild is joyful and complicated. It also tests whether you can love the next generation without reliving the old argument about who is in charge.

7 min readEditorially reviewed
Boundaries

When Adult Children Come Home for the Holidays

A short visit can turn tense when parents treat reunion as a chance to catch up on every unanswered question. Closeness needs a softer landing.

7 min readEditorially reviewed
Family Relationships

When You Want Grandchildren and Your Child Does Not

Wanting to be a grandparent is a real longing. Turning that longing into a campaign can make an adult child defend a life decision that was never yours to assign.

7 min readEditorially reviewed
Money and Support

Career Advice Your Adult Child Can Actually Use

Experience is valuable, but the labor market has changed. Advice becomes useful when parents ask what decision is being made before supplying an answer.

7 min readEditorially reviewed
Communication

How Often Should Adult Children Call Their Parents?

There is no healthy universal schedule. The better question is whether both people can rely on the connection without experiencing it as an obligation or a test.

7 min readEditorially reviewed