Show Parents Parent's Middle I Complicates Adolescence At the very moment that adolescents adolescents adolescents ado ado- are s struggling t rug g Ii n g to achieve their adult Identity with all the heartache that en entails entails entails en- en tails for them and their families lies their lies their parents are living through a struggle just as shattering shattering shattering shat shat- Facing the fact that their youth is over that middle-age middle is overtaking them THESE TWO struggles and not just the orneriness of youth often orten lie at the heart of the conflict conflict con con- between adolescents and their parents according to ob observations observations observations ob- ob made at a recent medical meeting in Washington DC D.C. by Dr Edward J. J Hornick associate professor of psychiatry psychia psychia- try at the Albert Einstein College College College Col Col- lege of Medicine in New York City Dr Hornick pointed out that parents going t through h r o 0 u ugh g h the prime me of life crisis are forced to realize that they are not going to achieve their youthful dreams Without being aware of it they sometimes try to make their children fulfill their frustrated frustrated frustrated frus frus- ambitions Conflicts re re- re sult I I THEN TOO just as the adolescent adolescent adolescent ado ado- I boy or girl Is reaching I Ithe the peak of physical development development development develop develop- ment the parents have to ac- ac I knowledge their own thickening I middles lined faces Envy and I jealousy may then affect the re relationship relationship relationship re- re of parents and adolescent adolescent adolescent ado ado- Dr Hornick warned The burgeoning sexuality of I Ithe the adolescent compared to the the I diminishing sexuality of thel parents may be exceedingly distressing to the latter When parents set limits for their adolescent adolescent ado ado- children are they doing so for the benefit of the adolescent adolescent adolescent cent Or the doctor asked are they a projection of the parents parents' own sexual fears Examples of parents suffering suffering suffering suffer suffer- ing mental or physical breakdowns breakdowns breakdowns break break- downs when their thel r children lea leave ve the family nest are numerous Dr Hornick observed Mothers frequently experience depression depression depression depres depres- sion serious enough to require medical attention when their sons go off to college FATHERS sometimes have heart attacks soon after their daughters move into their own apartment All this is not to say Dr Hornick pointed out that adolescence adolescence adolescence ado ado- is not a stormy difficult difficult difficult cult period In our society It His is But Dut parents who come to terms gracefully with their own mid mid- dle are apt to be able to enjoy and bear their children's childrens childrens children's chil chil- II drens dren's adolescence |