If you are a fellow parent you know how it feels when you see your kids leave home, move to a different country, get married etc. But, do you know it could be worse if you sent that son or daughter off without doing 5 critical yet pretty simple things for them? The good news is that it is not too late to get these done for your adult child whether or not they are close to home!
Below are five things we believe are important topics to discuss right now with your children.
- Take care of a Will. Most of us need Wills but your adult child may not. Most of these children own things like phones, stereos and computers and none of those need a Will to direct it to the appropriate heir in the event of a death. However, many of these children have a car and a bank account and it’s these sorts of items that need a Will to protect them.
- Prepare for health issues. Make sure you are having the right conversations with your adult children so that you know they are having regular health checks and that they inform you of any health issues they may have. The last thing you want when you are about you plunge into retirement is cancelling your cruise because you have to look after the grand children!
- Prepare for financial issues. In the hypothetical example of a nightmare car accident, disability is a higher possibility than death. A Power of Attorney enables a designated person to handle affairs that cannot be handled by the child. This can include financial, tax, banking and individual care matters. Having this on file before it is needed can help alleviate needless delays and heartache in the future.
- Decide about life support. This one is not fun for any of us. Have the open discussion that in the worst event one of you, them or you, needs life support, what are your desires? And, would you like to donate your organs?
- Cover the bills. Your adult child may be racking up some small debts as they work their way through university and the start of adulthood. While they may not think it’s needed, a conversation about life insurance can be a valuable one to have.
The bottom line is that our duties as parents don’t stop when our kids reach 18; however, our ability to be a parent is greatly diminished based on the fact that those kids are now adults.
Take the time to talk to your children about these important topics and prepare for any situation. The devil is certainly in the detail.
Have you talked to your grown kids today? Why not take a minute and call right now?