Lastnight I had about a 3 hour conversation with my mother after we'd both seen The Fifth Estate. The show was hard to watch for all of us - whether you are currently a part of AARC or are speaking against it. My mother is wrapping her head around it still and doing the right thing by speaking with uninvolved people to get some perspective from them. I imagine it's very hard for a parent to understand because they weren't in the center the way that we were, and also hard to accept that they may have placed their child in a facility of us.
I highly suggest to go back to advice most parents have heard from the get go - which is talk to your kid & listen. Ask open questions and let them do most of the talking. Sit down in a comfortable place and ask them about what they think of it without giving your perspective first. It doesn't matter if you plan on attending an Open Meeting right after the graduation, what will it hurt to have a long open conversation that has no motives other than connecting with one another?
The show stirred up emotions in everyone, and it's personally benefited my family to let them all spill out.
I'm neither a parent nor a counselor, but if I can connect honestly with my mother, anybody can!
