The decision on whether to move a parent in can be emotional and life-changing. As a larger population transitions into the latter years of their lives, this decision is one that will be faced by a number of adult children across the country.
James and Jennifer Cook, a couple who have been married for 20 years, are trying to learn how to deal with this situation. James and Jennifer have just sent off their only daughter to college and were welcoming the opportunity to
begin repairing their fractured marriage. However, James’ mother has been sick recently. This is causing a level of added responsibility to the Cook household. James spends a considerable amount of time running errands for his mother, taking her to the doctor, and spending financial resources taking care of his mother’s household. Because of this significant investment of time and money, the Cook’s are considering moving his mother into their home.From a convenience perspective, the decision to move his mother in makes sense. James
no longer has to travel across the city to pick her up for appointments. It also allows the Cook’s to improve their financial focus because they no longer have to take care of two households. The aforementioned areas seem to be no-brainers when it comes to making this decision. However, as mentioned, the Cook’s are experiencing some stress in their marriage. Moving James’ mother in could be the right move from the time and finance perspectives, but may serve as the final straw in severing their marriage.The Cook’s recognize the challenges they are facing, but have identified their options:
1) Move Mrs. Cook into the Cook household.
2) Allow Mrs. Cook to live separately for a short period of time while they work on their marriage.
3) Keep things the same.
Which option would you choose if you were in their shoes?
The Cook’s have chosen the second option so that they can spend time working on their marriage. They are currently seeing a marriage counselor and have found the spark needed to reignite the fire in their relationship. James’ mother is supportive of their decision and is cheering them on.
Kenny Pugh is a Life & Relationship Strategist, Author of ‘Can You Do It Standing Up?’, Speaker, HLN Contributor, sought-after speaker on finances, singleness, relationships and life. He is also the visionary behind KTP Financial, LLC (www.ktpfinancial.com). You can find more information about Kenny at www.kennypugh.com. Also, follow him on Facebook at Kenny Pugh, on Twitter @mrkennypugh and on YouTube at Kenny Pugh.