Business Advice for Parents Who Graduated from Keeping Kids Alive to Keeping Them Stable
"Your kids are grown - what's holding you back now?"
Person who thinks parenting expires at 18
To Everyone Who Thinks Empty Nests Mean Empty Calendars:
Your assumption: "Kids are grown = total freedom!" Reality: They just need different kinds of support at 2am now
The "Almost Empty Nest" Time Management Guide:
Your schedule: Carefully planned Your actual day: Determined by which adult child is having an existential crisis
Regular interruptions include:
"Mom, how do I adult?"
"Dad, is this what a normal cough sounds like?"
"Can you look at my lease before I sign it?"
"How do I make your spaghetti sauce?"
"What does this weird email from my boss mean?"
"The car is making a funny noise..."
"Can you proofread my resignation letter?"
The New Version of "Drop Everything":
Then: "Mom, I threw up at school" Now: "Mom, I think I'm having a quarter-life crisis"
Then: "Dad, I scraped my knee" Now: "Dad, I think I screwed up at work"
Both require immediate emotional bandwidth you were probably using for something else.
Your "Free Time" Reality Check:
What they think you're doing:
Finally focusing on your business
Enjoying peaceful evenings
Having uninterrupted workdays
Living your best life
What you're actually doing:
Being an on-call therapist
Providing career counseling
Offering relationship advice
Being a financial consultant
Serving as a life coach
Acting as backup transportation
Running the 24/7 adulting helpline
The "They're Adults Now" Translation Guide:
When they say: "They can take care of themselves!" They mean: "I've never been a parent during a job market crisis"
When they say: "You don't have to worry anymore!" They mean: "I don't understand that worry just evolves"
When they say: "Focus on yourself now!" They mean: "Ignore those 3am texts about life decisions"
Special Categories of Support:
The Career Crisis Hotline:
"Should I quit my job?"
"Is this normal workplace behavior?"
"Can you read my resume?"
"What should I do with my life?"
The Relationship War Room:
"Can we process this fight I had?"
"Am I being reasonable?"
"What are red flags again?"
The Adulting Help Desk:
"What temperature for washing whites?"
"Is this chicken still good?"
"How do I make a doctor's appointment?"
"What's a W-4?"
The Financial Advisory Service:
"Is this a good deal?"
"Can you look at my budget?"
"Should I buy or lease?"
"What's a reasonable rent?"
The New Emergency Services Division:
On-call services include:
2am bar pickup
Emotional crisis management
Workplace drama consultation
Relationship triage
Apartment hunting support
Recipe clarification hotline
Adult life coaching
Reality check services
To Those Who Say "But They're Independent Now!":
Sure, they are! They independently:
Need relationship advice
Want career guidance
Seek financial wisdom
Request life coaching
Desire emotional support
Ask for recipe instructions
Require reality checks
All of which requires you to:
Drop everything
Be present
Listen fully
Give advice
Hold space
Provide support
Stay available
The Truth About Business Building at This Stage:
Your focused work time is still at the mercy of:
Existential crises
Career emergencies
Relationship disasters
Financial questions
Life skills gaps
General adulting confusion
The ongoing need for Mom/Dad wisdom
But Please, Tell Me More About:
How I should structure my day
Why I need better boundaries
How to "just focus"
When to "turn off my phone"
Why I should "let them figure it out"
While I:
Review their resignation letter
Listen to relationship concerns
Explain basic adulting skills
Provide emotional support
Guide major life decisions
Serve as their backup plan
P.S. The "they're grown now!" crowd has clearly never received a "Can you help me adult today?" text right before a client call.
P.P.S. Written between helping one kid with grad school applications and teaching another how to make a doctor's appointment. Because apparently that's not covered in college. 😉
P.P.P.S. Crafted with my AI thinking partner because sometimes you need someone who won't tone-police your snark or tell you to 'calm down.' Want your own judgment-free processing space? Grab my Permission to Process Guide.