Is your life your your children’s lives worse than what your parents or you had?

[Anonymous]

Do you feel like your living standard is worse than what you saw your parents have or is your children’s lives worse than what you had as an adult their same age? I just saw a piece on families basically all living together now because lots of adult children are basically saying if they couldn’t move back in with their parents they’d be homeless.

[Anonymous]

My life is absolutely a lower standard than my parents. It's insane to me that at 24 my my mother co-owned a house. I'm 49 and rent and nowhere near being able to own a home. Probably will never be able to afford it.

My sibling's life is a much higher living standard than my parents. He married someone rich and has a rich job.

[Anonymous]

Personally about the same.

But when it comes to the world in general, worse.

[Anonymous]

DS definitely has a better life. I grew up UMC and we are UMC but DS definitely has had more opportunities because DH and I like to do more things than my parents did. My mom also had significant mental health issues and was borderline emotionally abusive, and DS is raised in a much healthier environment. There are no threats, guilt tripping, name calling, or yelling in our house.

[Anonymous]

My child’s standard of living is much higher than mine when I was young. I was a poor and now I am not.

[Anonymous]

My children’s standard of living is much higher than mine. My dad was poor (new to America poor) and the first (and besides our family, the last, to ever go to college), we had enough to get by but no extra, and our kids definitely have a nice life- private schools, nice house, vacations, etc.
I think this question was meant for more adult children, so I can’t answer that yet, but they will come out of college debt free with more contacts that I ever had, so hopefully they will be okay.

[Anonymous]

No. People living with parents or grandparents isn’t a new thing. People going through hard times isn’t a new thing. Our standards of living are much higher. People have so much stuff now, it is ridiculous.

However, I do think we are in for a doozy in the next decade or so. There is way too much income inequality and it is getting worse. This isn’t a new thing either. This round started in the early 80’s. I am hoping the pendulum is reaching it zenith and will start to go back without a full out civil uprising.

[Anonymous]

My parents were poor immigrants. Dh and I are doing better financially than both sets of parents (his were blue collar).

I have teens now—their lives are currently better than mine was at their age. They do amazing activities and have what they need and some of what they want (I didn’t even have all that I needed). No clue how they will fare in the future!

[Anonymous]

My life is far better than that of my parents. But the opportunities for women to get an education and have a successful high level career are so much greater. My mom was 56 before she could get a credit card in her own name much less access birth control so we have a big family. We had a small house and always had food but we made our own clothes because there wasn’t money for that sort of thing. And we only ever took vacations if there was an opportunity for free lodging. Eating out happened maybe 5-6 times while I was growing up.

By 26 I had a nicer house than I grew up in and had about the same lifestyle as my parents. It went up hill from there. I was able to go to college and law school. I can’t say the same for all of my siblings. Some did well and some did not.

I don’t know if my kids will achieve our level. It’s pretty easy to do better when you come from nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally about the same.

But when it comes to the world in general, worse.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Mine is far better. I'm an immigrant and grew up in a 1 bedroom apartment. I didn't live in a house until I was 14. I bought a house at 35 and my kids have their own rooms and international vacations etc etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My life is absolutely a lower standard than my parents. It's insane to me that at 24 my my mother co-owned a house. I'm 49 and rent and nowhere near being able to own a home. Probably will never be able to afford it.

My sibling's life is a much higher living standard than my parents. He married someone rich and has a rich job.

But how often did they go on vacation? Did they own a phone that they carried around all the time and paid hundreds of dollars a month for? How much do you pay for cable? How much did they spend on clothing? How much did they spend on coffee?

Is it just that you’re spending is out of control?

[Anonymous]

My paternal grandmother had to keep animals for milk and eggs, which is a lot of work. My paternal grandfather was a coal Miner.

My maternal grandmother was a single mother making a G4 salary, raising her daughter and a townhouse in DC with two bedrooms. Her mother had to live with her. My paternal grandfather died one week before my mom was born because the medical community couldn’t handle a simple blood clot.

My mom and dad were able to buy a house in Rockville Maryland for $15,000 and raise six kids and send them all to private school. But we didn’t buy clothes or healthy food. We’re going on a vacation ever.

How do you measure better?

I built a life that feels better. It’s obviously better than two generations ago.

I think people are spoiled and weak, creative expectations that are unattainable and then boo-hoo about it

[Anonymous]

My parents worked very hard to send all of us to college without student loans. We all did well. All of us are in the 1%.

Our kids also went to college with no debt and will marry well.

We all own are own homes and will pass on wealth.

[Anonymous]

A million times better:
1. I can get medical care when I need to and don't need to worry about going to a back alley. Women still have bodily autonomy where I live.

2. No emotional blackmail

3. No keeping up appearances with the joneses - my son's can wear nail polish if they feel like it and my daughters' can have short hair and can still dress nicely without wearing a frilly dress if they want to.

4. My DH can talk about his feelings and not drink them away.

5. We don't have to rush home to watch THE show or make it to the store before it closes.

Our house is not as big; we don't have as many cars; but our lives are so much better than our parents. And they are also better because we know what matters and what doesn't.