People of all ages are trying to make ends meet, and it’s not easy. It feels like we’re all a bit stagnated right now! Many of us grew up planning to have lives similar to our parents: get married, have 2 or 3 kids, have a long career, then retire in our 50s to enjoy the slow life. But uh… that’s not working out, is it? Most of us can’t afford to have that many kids — we can hardly afford to stock our pantries, let alone have enough to feed a huge family. And we’d love to join a workplace, stay for a few decades and rise through the ranks, putting money away for retirement. But instead, we’re cycling through temporary job after temporary job. Just forget about a 401 (k) when there are overwhelming bills to pay!
Although a lot of parents have a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” type attitude, more and more people are seeing this reality for what it is. We’re already working as hard as we can, but we’re still left spinning our wheels. That changes the future that young people — and the parents who are supporting them — envision for themselves.
Without major life milestones that used to be common, like having kids of your own or becoming a manager at a company, many people are left adrift in their own lives. This dad and his kid are feeling that pinch, too. As Dad explained in the story below, his kid is in his 20s, but he’s not exactly planning out his money usage well, nor is he particularly savvy about getting and keeping a job. While the son certainly holds a lot of blame here, commenters blamed his parents for enabling his flighty tendencies. They point out that if their son is never allowed to fail, and can always depend on Mom and Dad to be his backup plan, he’ll never truly mature. Check out the story as told by the father down below, and see who you side with.
