Episode
Thoughts and Feelings That Flood My Mind After Spending Time with my Adult Kids
- Published
- Aug 24, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 839
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://dadspace.ca/
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Summary
Episode 274 - Thoughts and Feelings That Flood My Mind After Spending Time with my Adult Kids Thoughts and Feelings After Spending Time with Adult Kids Spending time with adult kids can stir deep emotions for an empty nest dad. Dave reflects on the strange feeling that follows a visit, when he drives home wishing he could return to the years when his children lived under the same roof. Dad Space explores the emotional shift that happens when adult kids build lives of their own. When Home Changes Two major floods forced Dave and Jen to sort through years of family memories. The damage made them decide what mattered, what they could release, and what they had kept through habit. Their children helped when they could, even as busy adult lives limited their availability. The experience pushed Dave to think about family connection. His children still need their parents, yet they now need them on their own terms. They seek advice, approval, encouragement, and a response to a message. They also make independent choices, including choices their parents may question. That shift can challenge any parent. Dave remembers the mistakes he made before parenthood and worries when his children follow paths that resemble his past regrets. He wants to protect them from pain, though he knows experience often teaches lessons that advice cannot. A New Role for Parents Adult kids no longer live under their parents' rules. They create their own homes, routines, relationships, and priorities. Parents lose direct influence, yet they can still offer support, honest guidance, and emotional safety. Dave recognizes the value of staying present without overreaching. Parents can answer the phone, respond to messages, respect boundaries, and remain available when their children need help. Their adult…