breeding monsters

Delilah is 52, married with grown up children living independently, and she blames her generation for breeding the monsters who are how taking over the workplace, pushing out older workers, and generally treating older people with contempt, believing that they are the rightful masters of the universe.

“My adult children have more or less turned their backs on my husband and I since they left home, well educated and set up thanks the sacrifices we made for them,” says Delilah, “and judging by the way the young things at work treat me, I suspect that all Baby Boomers are responsible for breeding these monsters and we should blame ourselves, not them, for how these kids turned out.”

"Whereas we came from families of four of more children, and learned to share," explains Delilah, "we tended to have one or two children and we either spoilt them to death or left them to their own devices while we did our own thing."

"They grew up with a sense of self-importance, selfishness and ruthless determination that we, their parents, lack,” says Delilah, “and most times I am really scared to call my children, because they clearly don’t want to know us and have no need for us in their lives any more.”

“Frankly, I am worried about growing old with people like my children in charge of the world.”

Read more about Delilah:

ageism and bitter pills

bitter pills and empty nests

pushed into early retirement

adult stepfamily a blessing!

Helen is 56 and until two months ago she was managing a full-time job as well as a ready-made family of adult step-kids. When she made the decision to ease her way into retirement with a part-time job she met with a lot of resistance from her co-workers and boss who couldn’t understand why she considered spending more time with her adopted stepfamily was more important than her job.

"I married late in life and I take my new responsibilities as a stepmother very seriously," says Helen. "I could understand my boss putting me under a lot of pressure to fulfil my obligations to the company because of my high profile with it, but I was horrified by the attitude of my co-workers."

"They thought I was letting them down -- they even pointed out that the kids weren't mine and I shouldn't have to bother about them," sighs Helen "but I was adamant that my new family life was far more important than my job -- and so was my freedom to enjoy life while I was still young enough to enjoy it."

“Bearing in mind that I opted to work part-time in order to give priority to my new life as wife and stepmother, it was vitally important for me during the transition period from full-time work to retirement to keep my feelings under control.”

“I used humor to hit back at the sneerers,” laughs Helen, “and it helps, too, as you're walking out the door at noon after a four-hour shift, to feel a bit of compassion for them.”

“When I’m home relaxing with my adopted family at 9pm - after a pleasant afternoon spent shopping and preparing a gourmet meal for my wonderful new husband and step-children - the sneerers at work are likely to be still punching out the hours they need to work in order to earn enough to cover the costs of their expensive lifestyles.”

“I remember that lifestyle as being all about the trappings of what our society calls success but with no time to enjoy them - if, indeed, these things were ever intended to be enjoyable, or capable of being enjoyed.”

"I may be earning less, but I have gained a brand new family life that I never thought possible at my age," says Helen, "and because my stepchildren are adults -- all over 21 -- there is none of that stepfamily nonsense that happens with younger families."

"I consider my adult stepfamily a blessing!"

Read more of Helen’s story:

part-time work eases retirement

sneering at part-timer