Cousins Relationship as they get older

[Anonymous]

No, I’m not close with my cousins. It’s nice when I see them and we all have a good time when we get together but that happens rarely. Like once every 5-10 years at a wedding or a funeral. We didn’t grow up in the same town and now we all live in different parts of the country. All of us would like to get together more, sure! Who wouldn’t? But we are all working and have lives and families. It doesn’t happen.

[Anonymous]

We were fairly close growing up, but over the last few decades it has been a wedding/graduation/funeral kind of relationship due to time and distance. But when we are all together it's a blast, like old times. We have had at least three 'reunion vacation trips' as a group though. I am closer with two of my cousins and we text, etc.

My kids are close with their first cousins. Summer vacations, holidays, events, visits, etc. Several as young adults have shared apartments, and the like. And they are all connected on line the way this generation is, so I don't see that going away.

[Anonymous]

I never see money they are all criminal drug addicted garbage

My mother asks all the time why her child college educated daughter me never comes home this is one reason why

[Anonymous]

Yes, still close. We see each other often throughout the year.

[Anonymous]

I’m very close with several of my cousins but we are similar age and temperament and have similar interests, even now into our 40s. My spouse is not and probably hasn’t seen or interacted with a cousin (except at a huge family function) for about ten years— just has no reason to, but there is no ill will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a close-ish relationship with your cousins as you get older/become adults?

Went to a family function yesterday. I couldn't help but notice how the same age cousins (in this case teens) just didn't seem to be close/talking much. I can completely see them hardly staying in touch/seeing each other once the grandparents pass and they themselves become adults.

Some cousins stay close. Some don't. I don't think there's a magic formula (i.e. if they're close until high school they'll always be close). Just like some people stay friends and some don't. There are tons of factors you can't account for. If you care, you could do things to foster relationships between the cousins, as long as they're in agreement. Otherwise, it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a close-ish relationship with your cousins as you get older/become adults?

Went to a family function yesterday. I couldn't help but notice how the same age cousins (in this case teens) just didn't seem to be close/talking much. I can completely see them hardly staying in touch/seeing each other once the grandparents pass and they themselves become adults.

No, I'm not close with my cousins (but I only have 4) and my kids aren't really either (and they only have 2), but we enjoy each other's company when were togetgher. FWIW, generally speaking kids these days retreat to their phones the second they feel the least bit discomfort so it's not surprising that they aren't doing the work to communicate with people they only see occasionally. What our family does to try to break this ice is play games as a group - Uno, putt putt, corn hole, whatever. It's not a magic bullet, but it does draw them in a bit and get them to relax around one another.

[Anonymous]

Not close - we were very different kids with very different rules growing up. We'll stay in touch on Facebook, go to the funerals, send christmas cards. but that's about it. I'm closer to the aunts/uncles/parent's cousins but admittedly it isn't much more. close to my siblings though.

[Anonymous]

Weddings and funerals, that is pretty much it. We were close as kids but grew apart.