The sandwich generation

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heyzeus
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The sandwich generation

Post by heyzeus »

I'd heard the term before a few years ago, but wasn't sure if it was a thing. Brothers and sisters, let me tell you, it is a thing.

https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/01 ... eneration/
Nearly half (47%) of adults in their 40s and 50s have a parent age 65 or older and are either raising a young child or financially supporting a grown child (age 18 or older).
My generation (now hitting their 40s) had kids later in life - say, 35 rather than 23. As a result, we're now taking care of our aging 70+ year old parents while also caring for small children. Mine are 8 and 5, and they need (and deserve!) a lot of our energy and attention. But my parents on both sides of our family have just had serious issues that also require a lot of our time and attention. Not to mention $. Always with the $, America.

Anyway, it's not easy.

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Jocephus
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Re: The sandwich generation

Post by Jocephus »

i thought this was going to be about sandwiches

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sighyoung
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Re: The sandwich generation

Post by sighyoung »

This is me, pretty much. My daughter's a junior in high school, and I'm preparing for her to go to college, but I'm also a care-provider and have power of attorney for my 90-year-old mother, who just finished a week in the hospital during the Christmas season. I'm her only immediate family member within a 1,000 miles, so everything falls to me, from bill paying, legal matters, visits, and even laundry. I have eight years of experience removing feces stains from clothing and trying to figure out how to cajole my mother to go to a doctor or let me brush her teeth. I've been watching slow-motion death for almost a decade. I just get worn out.

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heyzeus
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Re: The sandwich generation

Post by heyzeus »

You're doing the hard work, Sigh. I have no doubt you're an excellent son and an excellent father. I completely get how hard you're working and how hard it feels to have the energy to do it all, though.

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ghostrunner
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Re: The sandwich generation

Post by ghostrunner »

Is the point that there's an unusual number of these people right now? It seems like this happens to almost everyone who has kids

AWvsCBsteeeerike3
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Re: The sandwich generation

Post by AWvsCBsteeeerike3 »

Jocephus wrote:i thought this was going to be about sandwiches
I did too. ha

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go birds
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Re: The sandwich generation

Post by go birds »

AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote:
Jocephus wrote:i thought this was going to be about sandwiches
I did too. ha
Same

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obucard
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Re: The sandwich generation

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CardsofSTL
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Re: The sandwich generation

Post by CardsofSTL »

It's a hard knock life Zeus.

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GeddyWrox
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Re: The sandwich generation

Post by GeddyWrox »

obucard wrote:
OK, that was pretty funny.

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