I know that you hope, when you get older, that your children will be there to help you out. That they will take care of you like you took care of them. But I want to warn you now- do not count on it. You cannot count on other people to take care of you. Friends, relatives, even children will not help you out. If they do help you then great but do not set your mind, heart, and financial future to that.
Let me give you an example. An elderly friend of the family got divorced after many, many years. Now on her own for the first time, she thought she could count on her kids to help her out. She moved in with her oldest son. After a few months, things of hers started disappearing. Eventually, she confronted him and he revealed he had been selling her stuff to pay for her ‘expenses’.
She then stayed with her daughter and son in law for a while, until one day they said they were moving and she couldn’t come along. They shoved all her stuff into storage, but she had no place to go. She got her hopes up when her youngest son called to say he’d be sending her a plane ticket to come live with him. She decided to stay at a friend’s house for a couple of nights, until the ticket came. The next day, he called back and said he changed his mind. Now, with no place to live or even sleep, she was on her own. Her friend didn’t have room for her to stay long term.
Why did she allow herself to get into this situation? I’ll tell you- she counted on other people to help her. No matter what you think will happen you cannot count on others to help. You have to have money and plans of your own. Don’t think that just because you hope for something to happen it will. Make plans, save your money, and be prepared to live independently when you are elderly. Either that or be prepared to suffer a lot of heartache.
– By Monta Fleming
*Author Byline:
Monta the mother of three children serves as an Expert Advisor on multiple household help issues to many Organizations and groups, and is a mentor for other “Mom-preneurs” seeking guidance. She is a regular contributor of “nanny jobs”. You can get in touch with her at montafleming6@gmail dotcom.