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Your parents have spent a lifetime guiding you through life, and their pending retirement is the perfect chance to pay them back. Going from a full-time job to no work can be a little problematic but your support can help guide them to a place of contentment.
Here are five fantastic ways to support your parents as they make their biggest lifestyle change in decades.
Plan a retirement bash
If your mum or dad is lucky, their boss will arrange a retirement party just before they leave. This will give them a great opportunity to say goodbye to their colleagues. However, throwing a family bash is equally worthwhile. Hiring a hall or decorating the garden for an afternoon spent with friends, family, and their closest work buddies will work wonders. You can always check out the best retirement gifts for women to mark the special occasion. Your family celebration is sure to serve as the perfect way to begin the new chapter in style.
Spend more time together
Once they no longer have the routine of a job, your parents will have a lot of time to fill. They might not tell you, but spending more time with the family would be their preferred option. Including them on family days out or short breaks to family holiday parks can be a great option. Meanwhile, arranging to visit them or have them come to you more regularly can have a positive influence. It is something that all parents will appreciate but can be even more rewarding when you only have one parent still in your life.
Teach valuable tech skills
If your parents are stuck in their ways, it’s unlikely that they’ll start a Twitch channel anytime soon. However, you can still teach an old dog new tricks. Showing your parents how to use Facetime or other video call facilities can help them stay in touch with the family. Likewise, using Facebook to keep in touch with friends is often useful. If they are true technophobes, try using an iPad as the touchscreen should be easier for them to use than an onscreen keyboard. Keep things simple by using just a small number of apps.
Help update their home
Like any other worker, your parent probably left home projects incomplete over the past few years. Their home surroundings will play a far more significant role now that almost all of their time will be spent at home. A few coats of paint can make a world of difference. Meanwhile, this guide to the best accessibility upgrades for the home can rebuild their love of their home. In some cases, downsizing or moving to a senior living community will be the best solution. Either way, promoting a happy home life should be a priority.
Support them financially
If you are in a position to give your parents money, that’s great. However, you do not have to provide cash to support them financially. Showing them some simple budgeting ideas can be very useful. Not least because it encourages you to use them too. You can also help them with applications for any financial aid that they are entitled to. After decades of paying into the system, making the most of those payments or senior discounts is the least they deserve. Adjusting to reduced finances can be tough, but your help will see them through.