How to Deal With Aging Parents’ Cranky and Stubborn Behaviors?

How to Deal With Aging Parents’ Cranky and Stubborn Behaviors?

There’s nothing pleasant about getting old. The thought of living on a tiny income and of being forced to choose between recreation and health scares a lot of people. And, your aging parents might be experiencing the same fear, which explains the reason why they seem to be grumpier.

As a child, no matter how grumpy your aging parents are, it’s your responsibility to take care of them. So, here are some tips to help you deal with stubborn aging parents.

Know Yourself

Know YourselfThis isn’t just a quote; it’s the ultimate truth and ultimate experience that everyone needs to go through in life. Unlike your current thoughts, knowing yourself isn’t just a small task. At the end of the day, your behavior will have a huge role to play when you are caring for your grumpy aging parents. So, it is very important to know everything about yourself.

What kind of person are you? What do you want in life? What is important to you? What are your flaws? What are your strengths? Are you good at listening? How do you solve problems? Do you always expect others to listen to you? 

If you adopt this “knowing yourself” ideology, it will help you in dealing with cranky elders. You are aware of your own emotions, of what you want and you can manage your reactions. If you know certain discussions with your parents can quickly get on your nerves, for example, you can avoid bringing up such topics.

Stay Calm

Stay CalmThis is the most common mantra that every caregiver lives by and so should you.

Human beings face stress from various sources every day but they cannot be overcome by that stress; it is crucial to handle this stress in order to avoid any mental problems. And, the best way to handle stress is to keep calm.

However, some people find it very hard to keep their calm amidst family pandemonium. It’s true that when you are faced with family madness it can be hard to control your mind and emotion to maintain the peace in you. In this case, the best technique to stay calm and composed is deep breathing. Start by inhaling deeply, hold for a few seconds and then exhale slowly – this simple process can be repeated eight or ten times. This is the basis of meditation which eventually leads to a kind of relaxation mode.

Draw Boundaries

Draw BoundariesThe relationship between a mother and her little kid is beautiful. The mother would always watch over the kid, pay attention to every detail and take care of him. But, no matter how much effort the mother is putting in for her child, there’ll be times when the latter would misbehave, lie, or be angry and grumpy. That’s when the mother would set boundaries to parent the child. The same goes for how you should deal with irrational aging parents.

When a person is responsible for his loved one’s wellbeing – whether it’s a parent caring for his child or vice-versa- the job would always be draining. Caring for elderly parents while meeting your work deadlines and carrying out daily activities can be very exhausting and it’s worse when your parents make demands that you are unable to meet.

If you know there are things you won’t be able to handle or times when you won’t be available for them, then make a list and set all the boundaries about what you can and what you can’t do.

Always Be Sensitive

Always Be SensitiveUnlike the common perception, there’s nothing wrong with being sensitive. When you are a sensitive person, you can better understand others’ emotions and feelings and you have a good sense of what needs to be done.

Being a parent is a very, very hard job that involves a lot of responsibilities that no one can understand unless they experience it. When parents hit the big five oh, they will tend to be a little naggy and bitchy. But, instead of telling how they should talk or always respond with “but” to whatever they say, try to be a little sensitive and put forward statements like “I’m only saying this because I’m concerned for you.”

 

 

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