Episode: 62

Episode Title: Millennials Taking Care of Their Parents 

As their parents age, millennials are finding themselves in the new role of caregivers for mom and dad. A new survey reveals how they’re doing—coming up next.

Ep 62 show:

Hello, and welcome—you’re in The Perna Syndicate! More than ever, Millennials are joining the ranks of earlier generations in caring for their aging or ailing parents. According to a recent survey of nearly a thousand Millennials, roughly half are already actively taking care of their parents, while the others are currently in the planning phase.

So how is this supposedly “lazy” and “narcissistic” generation coping with this new and bittersweet responsibility? Remarkably well, actually.

Millennials were the first generation to experience “helicopter parenting,” which can be defined as simply “over-parenting.” While much has been written for and against helicopter parenting, it does appear to hold some benefits as parents enter old age. For instance, Millennials seem to have a clearer picture of what’s needed as their parents get older. And, better yet, they’re really stepping up.

That does, however, come with a price tag—and it’s not just money. There’s also the emotional toll, and the pressure that this care can create for other relationships. Millennial women are more than twice as likely as men to report being “extremely stressed” about taking care of their parents. 

For Millennials, learning to parent their parents is challenging under the best of circumstances. And now the pandemic is making it even tougher. But the way they’re stepping up to the responsibility says a lot about this generation and the close connection they have with their parents. 

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