Versions of this meme have been making the rounds: It’s funny, of course – a playful twist on the promise of a dutiful parent, the promise we give to our teens: “No matter how late it is, if you need me I will come and get you.” We smile at the thought of a perhaps thirty-two-year-old texting her sixty-something mama with this plea. The joke raises a question: when does parenting end?When do we shift from being caretakers to consultants? When do we turn our phones off at night, confident that an adult child’s crisis can wait until the morning?
Choosing the Children
Choosing the Children
Choosing the Children
Versions of this meme have been making the rounds: It’s funny, of course – a playful twist on the promise of a dutiful parent, the promise we give to our teens: “No matter how late it is, if you need me I will come and get you.” We smile at the thought of a perhaps thirty-two-year-old texting her sixty-something mama with this plea. The joke raises a question: when does parenting end?When do we shift from being caretakers to consultants? When do we turn our phones off at night, confident that an adult child’s crisis can wait until the morning?