Should a child be responsible for their parent when they get older?

Anonymous

Should a child be responsible for their parent when they get older?

I’m not really sure where to start with this.
I apologize for the long post. I’m not sure if it makes sense and if it’s all relevant.

I am a 36 year old married mum of one.

I moved out of home at 18.

Things have recently blown up with my parents (my mum in particular).

Dad has recently found out he has some heart issues, he is 69 in October.

My mum has made remarks prior to that diagnosis that she “didn’t know what she would do if something happened to my father” (I always got the feeling that she expected me to say it’s ok mum you could come live us) and with this diagnosis my mum has become even more stressed about what she would do. I said to her a few weeks ago that they should make some plans so she will be sorted if something happens to dad.

On Sunday night the conversation about what would happen to her come up again and this is something I’ve been stressing about for months, it has been eating away at me. I’ve previously told my husband that my mum would have to come and live with us, his response was “if she moves in I move out”.
So mum once again said she was worried about her future and I replied that I had no room for her (I have a very small house, I do have a spare room but my husband and I may have another baby). She did not look happy about that comment and my dad laughed and said “you would have to build her a room” (we are in no financial position to do that!) Then I blurted out that if she moves in my husband would move out. They do not get along. They have both said and done things that have upset each other. My mother has disrespected my husband in his own home. (My husband has admitted that he is not innocent in the situation) Her reply was “so you want me to end up on the streets” and “I’ve looked after you your whole life” she didn’t seem to care when I said my husband would leave me.
My mother and I don’t have a good relationship either. Yes I feel awful for blurting out what my husband had told me. I could have said something nicer.
I fully admit I’ve got issues but anytime I tell her that she has behaviors she needs to work on she turns it back on me, like it’s all my fault.

My parents have a mortgage on a house. My parents got a mortgage when dad was in his mid 60’s, he used 2/3rds of his super to get this mortgage. They have made some awful financial decisions and have had debt collectors chasing them. They were always upgrading their cars every couple of years. Mum hasn’t worked for quite a few years.

They can’t sell the house as my brother lives in it and the market is not good in that area so they wouldn’t get the money they need for it.
My brother won’t be able to take my mother in as he has no job and they would lose that house if something happened to dad. I refuse to take my brother in as he sexually abused me when I was 8.

My mum still treats me like a child. She is in my opinion a narcissist. When I talked about having another child she said that was not a good idea as I couldn’t handle the one I had. She did help me out when I first had my daughter as I struggled a lot (my husband works away every 2nd week) which I’m grateful for. She always brings up how much she helped me. She is always telling me “she bends over backwards for me”

She would babysit my daughter a couple of days a fortnight while I worked. I have not paid her for it, she was kind enough to do and I would thank her for doing it and I’m grateful for it. She has regularly called my daughter a pain in the arse “jokingly”, she always gets cranky at my daughter for making a mess, she is not even 3. She gets cranky when my daughter doesn’t make it to the toilet. I’m now at the point where I don’t want to leave my daughter with her. She once left her in a dirty nappy for over an hour when I was asleep (and did not try to wake me). But then is the first to get cranky at me when I don’t change my daughter immediately.

She constantly picks on me. Criticizes my parenting. Try’s to give financial advice. Doesn’t respect privacy. For example my sister in law got a redundancy and my mother asked me how much money she got, I told her it’s none of our business.
I used to talk to her about everything but now I don’t want to tell her anything. I feel like she thinks because she is the parent and is older (I wouldn’t say wiser) that I should bow down to her, like she is the superior adult. That I’m the child and I know nothing, even though I’m 36 and have a relatively successful life of my own.

If my mum moved in we would lose a lot of our privacy and even though she is in ok health now what happens when she gets older and we want to travel. I would eventually become her carer. She was her mother’s carer for a few years and she struggled with that. Can’t she see how much she is asking of me?

I feel like my mother and my husband have put me in a really awful situation.

Is it up to me to take my mum in if something happens to my dad?

Thanks to anyone who read to the end 🙏🏼

Posted in:  Life Lessons, Relationships & Marriage, Mental Health

25 Replies

Anonymous

True Narcisists are incapable of any feeling toward anyone . The term is dramatically overused .

And as for looking after your mum, it depends on Culture. Most Westerners dont practice this tradition as they are raised to be totally independent of their parents, even in later life.

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Anonymous

Quite a bit of the behaviour described here points to NPD, Narcissists are incapable of empathy but they can still have feelings.

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Anonymous

Sorry what is NPD?

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Anonymous

^^ narcissistic personality disorder.
Someone can also have narcissistic traits or behaviours without necessarily having NPD.

To the original poster of this comment - as someone who has a mother that actually does clinically fall into that category, a lot of this is familiar to me so your conclusion of it being an over used term may not be accurate in this scenario or even at all. If you feel like you're dealing with a narcissist, you probably are...

Also, narcissists can feel empathy but it's always secondary to their over inflated sense of importance. As an example, my mum recently rang me up crying her eyes out because she watched a documentary about homeless people and she just felt so sad for them. This is the very same woman who kicked my brother and I out of home at ages 15 and 16, not caring we had nowhere to go. She still won't accept any responsibility for doing that, can never actually take accountability for any of her actions (that's hugely where the narcissistic part of her personality cones out).

It's really quite complex and not at all as black and white as people make it seem.

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Anonymous

A true Narc will 'pretend' to care and have emotions. They actually have no emotions unless its for their OWN gratification.

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Anonymous

I would in a heartbeat allow either my own parents or in-laws to move in If necessary. I would move mountains to ensure they had a safe place here.
However, that is if they were still fit and healthy, if they were requiring extra support and help that I didn’t have the time for I would look into alternate arrangements that are close to home.

Given the nature and relationship with your mum and everything you have been through, I wouldn’t be supporting her any further though! I wouldn’t even be allowing her to set foot through my door!

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Anonymous

Yes they should. However realtionship plays a huge role because you cant be miserable either. Reassure her you will look after her, that doesnt mean she lives with you though.

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Anonymous

Not entirely. Your not even 50 yet and you have your own family.
Time for mum and dad to think about retirement style living. No lawn maintenance and help to the home with carers etc as she ages. Independent living until you can’t live alone anymore:)

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Anonymous

No, that’s why nursing homes/ retirement homes are for

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Anonymous

No I don’t think so. You’re not obligated to at all.

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Anonymous

Im around the same age as you and at this age it would be a strong no from me too. Even when im older i dont think so. Ive seen this happen to my father in law and his wife ( hubbys stepmum) and honestly there is no way id want that for my marriage. There are plenty of other options for your mother.

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Anonymous

Where is your jobless brother while you leave your child in your mothers care?

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Anonymous

~ original poster here ~

He lives in a different town, like 500km away.
My parents are aware of the abuse that happened. They still have contact with my brother. They even want to take my daughter to visit my brother and in their words “show her off” (we have other family there)

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Anonymous

If your brother is living in their home, then he can step up if and when something happens. And you can offer support from a distance. First and foremost, you need to do what is best for your family unit. It’s not going to be best for your marriage to have her move in, so don’t do it. I moved back in with my parents when my marriage ended, I had a toddler and young baby and wouldn’t have survived without their support. I was there for five years before I was in a position to move into my own home. It was such a relief to move out and have our own space. My mum won’t be moving in with me if something happens to dad. Our expectations are too different and it would not be a peaceful living environment. I love her and will support her in any way I can, but living together will not be good for my, or her, mental health.

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Anonymous

In my opinion Children are not responsible for looking after their parents! Yes in some cultures this in the norm but as far as I am concerned Children don't make the choice to be born the parents do and shouldn't only have kids so there is someone to look after them when they're old. As a parent I raise my children to be independent, contributing members of society which will hopefully mean that they will be busy with their own lives and family and will not have time to care for me when I no longer can. In your circumstance I also think you aren't to be held responsible for your parents poor financial decisions. If your husband and mother don't get along then it isn't even a question- she will need to downsize (sounds like they should anyway) and start learning how to take care if the things that your dad currently looks after now while he is still here (and hopefully is for many years to come)

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Anonymous

I was forced out of home at 16 and Ive had to claw my way through life with quite literally no support from my parents. While most kids my age were studying, learning to drive and looking forward to their next life stage - I was figuring out where I was gonna live and how I was going to support myself.
So pardon my expression but my parents can go jump off a fucking bridge if they think I'm going to support them through old age...

I have also worked in aged care, so I've seen first hand the toll taking on an elderly relative can have on people (even when there's a healthy, loving relationship between child and parent). So I would never expect my children to step into the role of being my care giver.

Your parents need to make a real plan, not just expect you to take all this on.

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Anonymous

Exactly the same for me, I have been on my own completely since 16 and got through some very hard stages without any help at all from my parents. You reap what you sow!

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Anonymous

Your mum isn’t even that old!

Gosh my grandparents are heading towards 90 and live on there own. They need some help with doing some home maintenance.

My other grandmother moved into a rental unit when her husband died.

My parents are your mums age. There would be absolutely no reason they would need to live with me if one of them died. My mum has even said she’d get a smaller place and rent. They are currently building a caravan from scratch themselves. They don’t need looking after for a very long time.

Help and responsibility comes in many forms and that doesn’t mean moving her in with you. That may mean when she looses her house helping her find a rental unit for her. She will have a pension and rent assistance. She will be fine.

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Anonymous

Am I the only one that seems concerned that she is leaving her daughter to be looked after by her mother when her brother that sexually abused her as a child is at the home? I’m baffled that you and your husband allow this/ encourage/ or think this is a good idea

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Anonymous

I didn’t even think to put that in the original post. My brother doesn’t live with my parents, he is 500km away. If my brother were to visit or move in I would either not visit at all or it would be supervised (by me) visits.

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Anonymous

Nursing home after the asset is sold.

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Anonymous

~ original poster here ~

How would they go about going in to a retirement home if they have no money though? I think they would have to declare themselves bankrupt, they have so many debts.

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Anonymous

She needs to sell the house and set herself up for elderly living. Find out what govt setup there is because there is housing and support. Start looking at options and presenting them to her now.

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Anonymous

So let me get this straight. Your parents have a mortgage on a house that they don’t live in while your brother lives in that house rent free? Where do they live at the moment?
I think they need to cut their loses with the house and sell it. Would they get enough to pay out the mortgage? If something happens to him and your mum isn’t of pension age she will have to get a job or collect Jobseeker.
And as for your brother he will need to find his own place.

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Anonymous

My Dad did pass away quite suddenly, Hubby and Mum do not get on.
At the time I was concerned, as Mum lives in another state.
Mum is honesty better, she is no where near as arrogant, Hubby and her even get on.

We told her she couldn't come up, she would cause all kinds.

Its been 5 years, Dad was 59 years old, still working

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