Parenting is a very big task that one should be physically, mentally, financially, and psychologically prepared for. It isn't a journey you embark on because your friends are doing so. In our world today, I see teenagers and young adults rushing into parenthood as if it's nothing, whereas they aren't prepared for what lies ahead.
Most children, including myself, were brought up with the idea that it was the children's responsibility to take care of their parents in old age. Well, that's right, and it's supported by the holy book, but to me, it is a right thing to do, not a responsibility to be carried. We have many parents out there today that are not being catered for by their children because the children aren't financially okay themselves, not to mention taking care of the parent.
This is where the question is, "how are you training your children? What background are they coming from? On what foundation did you lay their feet?", many parents have to answer these questions because it has a lot to do in the children's life be cause as a parent , you can't imagine a child you didn't brought up in the right way you should to take responsibility for you at old age.
This prompt made me remember my grandparents; they are both living a luxurious life today because their children are well to do. My grandpa is 98 years old, and my grandma is 89 years old. Both of them are alive and enjoying their old age because they have children who are successful and financially stable. They are able to remember their parents because they are living in peace and they have more than enough to share. After him or herself and his or her nuclear family, he or she knows the right thing is to take care of the parents, and they are doing that because they are well to do.
You can't expect a child who is struggling to feed himself or herself daily to remember the parents. It's just so sad that in today's world,some parents make it look compulsory without considering the financial capability of such a child. The question is, "Why can't such parents prepare for their old age themselves?".
My father always said, "May he never be a father who will depend on any of his children, especially financially at old age; rather, he would be a father who will be surprising even financially when he is old," and that I claimed too. It is the right thing for the children to take care of their children at old age, but what if such children don't have what it takes?
It's not fair for the young ones to be saddled with the responsibility of old age when such parents have no plans for themselves; why can't they be a giving parent even at old age? My dad does say that even after all his children are successful and doing well for themselves, he still wishes to be a giving father, not minding how rich the children are.
Do I think parents deserve to be taken care of?
Of course, yes, parents deserve to be well taken care of for all their sacrifices over the years. That is for parents who did all that was expected of them as parents. I believe the path on which you train a child in life is very important. The environment in which a child grows plays a vital role in shaping such a child's life. The things the child is exposed to also contribute to who he or she becomes in life; a lion can't beget a goat, and a goat can't beget a chicken.
WHAT AM I PREPARATION FOR FOR OLD AGE
A lot, I must say. As a lady, I've always believed in and trained myself to be independent. I believe at old age there are little things I can still do with my knowledge that will fetch me a steady income. I value knowledge, and that's why I thrive to acquire more on a daily basis. First, my parents have done well by giving me a quality education; second, by teaching me a good way to live my life; and third, by laying my feet on a strong foundation that is solid enough to make me rooted for life.
Investment is one way to secure a good old age. Make the sacrifices while you can and enjoy the goodies when you can no longer work as hard as you did before. All the investments I'm making today are for the future, not only for myself but for my yet-unborn . I don't want to be a mother or a grandmother who would depend on her children or grandchildren before making a living. Just like my dad, I want to be a giving mother and grandmother so that even at old age I can still surprise my children and grandchildren financially, no matter how rich they are.
Thanks for your time, and your comments will be appreciated.
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