General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Moving in with parents becomes more common for the middle-aged [View all]Patiod
(11,816 posts)Worked freelance as a consultant and took care of my Dad, also after 25 years on my own.
Had to laugh at your comment about Stuff - we had to put everything we owned in the garage, and my Dad still complained about the few things we did bring into the house ("YOU'RE BREAKING UP THE HOUSE! WHY DO YOU NEED ALL THAT STUFF ANYWAY??! JUST THROW IT OUT" <- he was fairly deaf) And like you, it took a while to find our equilibrium. I think it was harder for my Dad to learn that sometimes I knew best (at least in term of medical/health issues)
But otherwise, it worked out pretty well. I had time to build my little business without pressure, and he got stellar round-the-clock care. He also taught my husband, who grew up in a rowhouse, how to take care of a suburban house, which has come in handy now that we live here.
The biggest downside is that I put on 25 pounds eating Old Guy Food (potatoes and gravy with every meal) that I'm still trying to get rid of.
Feel free to PM me if you need a sounding board.