My relationship with my dad has changed and I don't know why

[Iwantittoend]

I've noticed lately that when I'm around my dad, I just feel awkward. Things don't come naturally anymore like it does with the rest of my family. Like I have to overthink things when I'm around him. What's weird is that in my family, I probably had the best relationship with him growing up. We always hung out and I loved father-son time that we had. But lately I don't know what's happened. Sometimes we'll be driving along and I'll struggle with what to come up with to say. Or I'll find ways to avoid him.

 

Maybe as I've gotten older, I've realized that we don't have as much in common as I thought and naturally I'm drifting from him. Has this happened to anyone else? Anyone have an explanation?

[MyNinja]

I know exactly what you're talking about. I think it's just that you've gotten older and your mind is changing. Your father has already went through "this change" and his mind is pretty much set while yours is exploring different social standpoints.

 

Me and my great grandmother really don't have that "connection" that we used to when I was a teen.

[kevinm]

As Mark Twain put it, "As I became older my father became wiser."

 

Hummmmm. Did his father really "become" wiser? Or did Mark Twain come to certain realizations that changed his mind?

 

When we are children, our parents are our world. They are our protectors, our role models, etc. As we venture into adulthood, this view often changes. We begin to see our parents for people... people with good traits and bad, capable of the full range of emotions. We begin to see our parents more as equals. To our parents however, we will always be children for the most part, regardless of our independence.

 

-Kevin