At some point during the teenage years, a lot of kids can’t wait to get away from their parents, but that tends to change as you grow up. By the time you’re an adult, you tend to appreciate your relationship with your mom and dad a lot more. And according to a new survey, 53% of Americans say their parent is actually their best friend.
The poll of 2-thousand U.S. adults age 40 and older, in honor of the National Day of Joy on June 26th, also reveals:
- More than half (58%) feel closer to their parents now than ever before.
- The top things people enjoy doing with their parents who are in their “Golden Years” - the phase of life for seniors who are typically retired - are shopping together (33%), trying new restaurants (26%) and traveling to new places (16%).
- Some even like going to concerts together, and their bucket list shows include The Rolling Stones (17%), Usher (12%) and Taylor Swift (11%).
- Spending time with their aging parents like this has had a positive impact on the parent/child relationship for 88% of those surveyed.
- Half say it’s made them more grateful for their time together and 50% also say it’s improved their mom or dad’s mood, too.
- Nearly two-thirds (64%) report that their parents have a positive attitude about aging.
- Doing activities together has inspired their parents to be more active (35%), boosted their confidence (25%) and even made them more open to trying new things (30%).
- It’s good for the adult kids, too, as 40% have learned something about their parent’s youth that surprised them, including that their parent was married before they tied the knot with their mom or dad (14%), was in the military (12%) or that they were friends with a celebrity (4%) - one respondent’s parent was a pal of Elvis!
- Just over half (51%) say they now realize the lessons their parents taught them growing up are valuable, while 25% say they’ve learned they’re more similar to their parents than they thought.
Source: Talker
Scott's Thoughts:
- Think the 13-year-old version of those people who are besties with their mom or dad would have ever imagined that was possible?
- My kids grew up mostly away from me due to divorce and my relocation. But I still feel extremely close and connected with them.
- What’s the coolest or most surprising thing you’ve learned about your parents as you’ve gotten older?