Parent Sitting Mom and Dad - Family Relationships

Parent Sitting Mom and Dad — Family Relationships

My question is about parent sitting mom and dad.

I am the 35-year-old second son of parents who had a contentious divorce. My siblings are married with children and live plane rides away.

I, however, am between both parents geographically. I have a two-hours drive either north or south from my house to one parent or the other. I do the lions share of the parent sitting. It has become my lot in life to entertain them separately twice a month. Since I am a workaholic, it means four Saturdays a month are spent with one or the other.

I have no life outside work. How do I ween them before they get too old when I’ll be feeling even more guilty?

–Name Withheld

About parent sitting mom and dad.

Gently. I’m assuming since the divorce was difficult that they don’t talk — so you are in luck.

Try whittling down your visits to holidays.
Start by begging off one Saturday a month, bringing you down to having two Saturdays when you’re fancy free.
Once they get used to not planning on seeing you so often, they’ll start making other plans.

Eventually they’ll get the idea that you have a social life that doesn’t include them.