Do your future kids a favor.

February 2, 2022

The world today is filled with people whose life is uninsured.

I have seen this photo from Facebook and it hurts me to think that some people may relate to this and may find this true.

Taking care of the parents after graduating college and having a job is the default action of every Filipino. It has been part of our culture to take care of our ageing parents as a way to give back to them. In fact, even when we don't have a stable job yet, we would want to give a share to provide for their needs like medication because during this time some of our parents aren't capable enough to work.

These days, I can see kids taking care of their parents. They are either working to support their parents' needs or stopped working and are taking care of their sick parents. There is no problem with this set-up because part of our culture told s us or taught us that we should take care and give back to our parents. They have raised us, educate us and took care of us even when we are already adults and now that they are incapable of supporting and taking care of themselves anymore, the children would now take over in supporting them may it be financially or physically.

There are kids who are thoughtful and loving enough and they remain as the family's support. As soon as these types of kids get a job, they would give back and support the parents. On the other hand, there are also children who have jobs but still won't give a single dime for their parents.

Which kids do you prefer? Which kid are you? Are you the type of kid that supports your parents forever? Or are you the type of kid that neglects parents even after having a good-paying job? Or do you have a timeline to which giving back to your parents have an end?

How about kids? How do you want your kids to be? Do you want to have kids that supports you financially at the end? Or do you want your kids to do their thing and achieve more of their dreams?

Let me know your thoughts.

As soon as we graduate from college. We are programmed to get a job and give back to our parents. In most cases here in the Philippines, almost all of the time and effort of our parents were spent hustling day and night to support our needs and send us to school. So our default action is to work hard and smart for us to be able to give back.

What happens when a child fails to give back?

They would be branded as selfish individuals who only thinks about himself. What if the child has dreams of his own and cannot pursue it because he felt like he is forever tied to the idea of giving back and taking care of his parents? What if he could have gone a long way pursuing his dreams using the finances that he used to support his parents?

On the other hand, what if the child already has his own family? Will he be still supporting his parents even when he has a family of his own? Yes, they can have an initiative of only giving what they can but prioritizing his own family but that would put his family's dreams on hold too.

This is why we are called the sandwich generation because we are in the middle. We are in between our own family and our parents. We are in between our dreams and our parents. We are torn between achieving our dreams and bettering ourselves and providing for our parents.

Let us stop romanticizing taking care of parents as our default action. Yes, it is true, providing for them is fulfilling and part of our duties to be their children. But how about you? What happens to you when they are out of the picture? Will you get married and have your kids doing what you did to your parents? Do you want them to hold their dreams to support you too? Would it be wonderful to be able to provide for your own and watch your children reach for the stars?

Some of our parents never knew this reality. They never realized this situation and it is perfectly fine, after all, we can sacrifice. However, let us break and stop this culture right here. Let us do our future kids a favor. Let us be insured so that in the future they won't be thinking of us. Let us give them the happiness of pursuing what they want and living their best life not worrying about us because they knew we are financially independent. We can take care of ourselves even when we are old already and have no jobs.

I am not saying that taking care of the parents now is not good. It is great as what I have said it is fulfilling. But some kids these days sees this situation as what it depicts in the future above. We are not our parent's investment plan and we shouldn't think that way. If ever we feel so, there is no use of taking care of them because we know that there is hate and negativities in the heart.

If you want to help and give back to your parents, do so. But if you are only forced because it is what the society and culture tell you, then stop.

God loves the cheerful giver. If you give to your parents cheerfully, you will be blessed with more. On the other hand, if there is some pain while you are giving, it would not have better results.

Thank you for reading. Until then.