As long-term friends live and grow, differences in timelines and goals grow more stark.
Here, experts give advice to friends at different stages of life.
Yet, something still felt off.
Her focus is to empower mothers.
To help ensure that doesnt happen, I sought expert advice for staying friends at different stages of life.
That means your friends life having new components doesnt make your friend a new or different person.
Amber Trueblood, LMFT, is a family therapist and author of “Stretch Marks.” Her focus is to empower mothers.
According to both Bayard and Trueblood, addressing the evolving ecosystem of relationships starts with intentionality and clear communication.
To make the sessions feel more manageable (considering part of the barrier is how busy we are!
), Bayard suggests putting a time limit on the exchanges.
Spice things up the same way you would romantically.
You could infuse the element of discovery into your friendships because having new experiences together builds memorable bonding moments.
Sometimes these perceived disconnects [between different life stages] are exactly that: perception, she says.
Assumptions can also be problematic when we take our friends happy-looking lives at face value and dont dig deeper.
Another important communication tip?
Sometimes, friends need an ear to listen to them vent.
Amber Trueblood, LMFT, is a family therapist and author of “Stretch Marks.” Her focus is to empower mothers.
Sometimes they need your opinions, advice, and potential solutions.
Otherwise, your doubts may subconsciously infiltrate your relationships and stop you from being optimally happy for your friends.
Awkwardness is part of the process, says Bayard.
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