Struggling is sometimes good for the character. Being resourceful and creative in my twenties (during law school I regularly ate my dinner from the free buffet at the local pub for the price of a beer), served me so much as I got older.

It made me confident that I could handle adversity (which is what we parent worry about right?) and made me bolder, willing to fail because I knew how to recover. I encourage my kids to build that muscle.

Coincidentally, I interviewed Ruth Nemzoff, a family dynamics expert, this week on fostering relationships with adult kids. If you want, you can listen to our discussion, which includes how to talk about the recession.
http://thismarriagething.com/transform-your-relationship-with-adult-children/

You know, Ruth said one other thing that cheers me up. No one knows how to parent an adult child at first.

Love= Fun
Dina

That is so true! It's a delicate balance between backing off, helping out and allowing. My son is 22 and I'm struggling with striking the right chord. I'm heading over to listen to your interview. Thanks for the heads up!

The responsibility of caring for an adult child is not only waxing on our emotions, but what some people don't realize is how stressful it is financially. Right now, my friend is in the process of looking around at Debt relief solutions because of unexpected expenses that came with putting up her 30 year old daughter. I try to be encouraging, but even she isn't sure how much longer she can go on like this. Good luck!

** E