Cooking is my favorite inter-generational bonding. That you do that with your D, Rick, is beyond cool and so you're already ahead of the game.

My S14 likes to pick out his own food, so late-night grocery trips just me & him are fun.

I also try to listen really hard and do something that he will appreciate without making a huge deal about it. Ex: he is frequently annoyed with the messy van when I drive his friends around. For the 3-hr roadtrip to his camp this week, I cleaned everything out and went through a wash & vacuum place, and put a vanilla air freshener in. Before the end of the trip he said, hey mom, thanks for cleaning the car. He knows I love him that way and he loves me back by acknowledging it.

We also share a love of gum. I'll buy as much of any random latest-thing gum that he's into as he wants. Silly, but just something to have in common with him.

Adinva 51, S20, S18
M24 total
6/15/11-12/1/12 From IDLY to H moving out
9/15/15-3/7/17 From negotiating SA to final D at age 50
5/8/17-now: New relationship with an old friend
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Happiness is a warm puppy.