As your parents get older, it may be difficult trying to convince them to take better care of themselves. It can be difficult to reverse the role when your parents are used to being the ones telling you what to do. However, as they get older, they might not always know best when it comes to their diet and well being.
If you start to bring up considering in-home care, they may even get angry. However, there are some tactics that make getting through to your older stubborn parent easier. Take a look at some of the best ways for dealing with challenging older loved ones.
Accept Their Wishes
Even though you might try and convince your loved one to see things your way at some point, you have to accept that they don’t want to. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.
Ultimately even though they may be aging, there still adults. You have to respect their decisions, even when they’re not the best ones. Rather than driving yourself crazy with frustration, it helps to accept their wishes. You’ll feel less frustrated, and they’ll feel less frustrated.
Make It About Their Grandkids
One tactic that many experts recommend is trying the angle of the grandkids. For example, if your older loved one won’t make changes for their own sake, then you can ask them to do it for their grandkids. Saying something around the lines of “Don’t you want to live longer for your grandkids?” can cause them to stop and reconsider whatever it is you’re trying to convince them of.
In most cases, they’ll accept this approach out of love for their young grandchildren. However, that doesn’t guarantee that it will work.
Choose your Battles
Certain things are worth going to bat for a while other things are hardly worth the trouble. It’s important to choose your battles carefully when dealing with your older parents. Decide how important the matter is and whether it’s really worth getting upset about. If you’re constantly on your older loved one’s case eventually, they’ll stop listening to you only save your arguments for when it really matters.
Don’t Feel Badly
When caring for your older parents, it’s easy to feel like you’re doing enough, or maybe their degrading health is your fault. However, it’s important that you give herself a little bit of credit. It’s not your fault if you can’t reason with your older parents. Sometimes they’re simply stuck in their ways. Don’t get trapped up and thinking that you’re not good enough or trying hard enough. Sometimes all you can do is sit by and except that’s the way things are.
Leave a Reply