2. You should NEVER give unsolicited marriage advice.

This one may be a hard pill to swallow for those of us who are very attached to our children, but it is, unfortunately, a very commonly made mistake with adult children that generally does not end well for anyone involved. Your parental instinct is going to tell you that you should take your daughter or son to the side and express your dissatisfaction with the way their spouse may be talking or acting, or you may try to give them money advice. You should stop yourself from doing this!

Unless it is something serious, you should not make this mistake with adult children, as it will serve to push them away or create tension in their marriage. Most couples would have a plan about finances, or they have their own inner workings, and your unsolicited advice will only create tension between them, or your child will not appreciate you butting heads in their relationship.

Think about the time when you were just married. You wouldn’t have liked your parents-in-law or your parents coming in between you and your partner or telling you how to live a married life, so do not become the person you never wanted to be!

If you are worried you will not know how to communicate with your grown-up children about the advice you want to give them so it will not sound like an accusation or scolding, we suggest you read the 4 Essential Keys to Effective Communication in Love, Life, Work—Anywhere! book, which you can get on Amazon for less than $12!