Laura feels like her boomer parents spend too much of their free time and money on themselves and should be doing more to help her with her children instead. Do you think her boomer parents have a right to enjoy their retirement on their own terms? Or do they owe her the time and money to help with their grandchildren?
Jonathan: Today for panic button we have Laura. Hey, Laura.
Laura: Hey. How are you guys doing?
Jonathan: Doing well. So, Laura, your problem is you want free babysitting, but you’re not getting your parents to do what’s right.
Laura: I do not understand why this is happening. My parents, neither one of them seem available to help with my kids. You know, I have two relatively young kids and I it’s a ton of work and we don’t live that far from them. And they never help out at all. Like nothing. I’ll text them to see if they can watch them for a date night. You know, for a couple of hours or something and they’re always just not available.
Jonathan: Are they busy? You say, Hey, can you watch the kids from 6 to 9 Friday night so me and my husband can go out? And they’ll what? Ghost you or what?
Laura: One of them will be at a game night or something. My parents will be out with their social group and they don’t want to. I don’t think they were like this when I was a kid. They have a bigger community now or something.
Jonathan: Meaning so they have a life.
Ayla: A social life. And you don’t.
Jonathan: Right. And it’s bothering you. So anytime you want to make plans, they always have plans.
Laura: Exactly. They’re just so busy, busy, busy. Just doing their thing. And it just makes me feel like they just don’t care about the kids.
Ayla: Do you think that they’re being selfish by having their own plans?
Laura: That’s what it feels like. Yeah. I mean, I don’t get it. My in-laws just sent me a picture of them swimming with dolphins. Okay.
Jonathan: I don’t see why it bothers you so much that these people are enjoying their lives? Don’t you love your parents? You don’t want them to do fun things?
Laura: Well, yeah, but don’t they want to be involved in the raising of my kids? I mean, I was basically raised by my grandparents. They were in my life.
Ayla: Yeah, but you didn’t say raising. You just said watching them when you go out on date night. So are they babysitting or are they getting to know the kids? Or maybe both. I get what you’re saying, but which is it.
Laura: I think both. And you know what? I honestly don’t understand, but I really do think that it is a generational thing. I think that for some reason these boomers just think…. We raised our kids and now what?
Jonathan: Yeah, you know, the boomers, they were out there at their Woodstock orgies and acid parties and leaving the kids home to be raised by the greatest generation. And so they could go out and party and now they’re not done partying. They’re still having fun. Is that what you’re saying?
Laura: That’s what it seems like to me. I don’t know if other people have this same experience. But I know my friends, their parents help out.
Jonathan: I’m the same way. I’ll say, Hey, mom, can you come over and watch my kids? She’s like, Jonathan, for the last time, I live in Saint Louis. You live in Boston.
Ayla: How are you going to get mad at your mom on air right now? You know, she’s listening.
Jonathan: Laura’s problem is she wants her parents to, you know, actually chip in and help with the raising of her kids like their parents did with her.
Ayla: And like all of her friends’ parents.
Jonathan: And they’re never available. She thinks you darnn boomers are out there just being so selfish. Do you agree with that? Laura, thank you so much.
Laura: Thank you.
