Once upon a time, you knew what they ate for lunch, who hurt their feelings and why one sock had vanished behind the couch.

Now you may discover major news three business days after their friends did.

This can feel personal. Often, it is developmental.

Adulthood requires a private interior life: thoughts that are still forming, decisions not ready for discussion and experiences that belong first to the person living them. Sharing less can reflect growing independence rather than shrinking love.

Pew found that most young adults still turn to parents for advice at least sometimes about work, money and physical health. They are less likely to seek parental guidance about mental health, friendships and romantic relationships. The relationship remains important; its jurisdiction changes.

Make disclosure inviting, not expensive

Young adults may hold back when every update produces ten questions, immediate advice or visible anxiety. They may also avoid sharing if information travels rapidly to siblings, relatives or the family group chat.

Try responding to ordinary disclosures with ordinary calm. Not every dating update needs a wedding forecast. Not every difficult workday needs a résumé intervention.

Ask open questions, then allow an answer to be complete. “How are you feeling about it?” opens space. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” often closes it.

Do not compete with friends or partners for first access. Adult intimacy expands in several directions, and none of those bonds automatically erase you.

Closeness is not measured by possessing every detail. Sometimes it is measured by knowing that when something truly matters, your child expects to find steadiness—not a cross-examination—on the other end of the phone.

Privacy is not always a wall.

Sometimes it is simply a door they are learning to open for themselves.

Research source: Pew Research Center: How young adults seek advice from parents