Why Parents Should not Be a Burden for New Generation

There is no refusal of the reality that the social connections in the 21st century experience a great deal of stress and strain. In any case, the discouraging part is that the unadulterated relationship of a parent and child has turned into the casualty of strife and today numerous kids think about their old guardians as an obligation. Their parents turn into a burden in money related, monetary, social and mental sense for the kids. The youngsters today are incredibly profession situated individuals. They invest a great deal of energy in their workplaces or keeping up business relations through clubs and parties. The work culture today is amazingly demanding considering the vicious challenge that exists in the market. This pressure does not offer them to concentrate on their life partners or kids. With the ageing issues of their folks that leak in, the youngsters feel extra burden on their shoulders.

A monstrous issue with the children of this generation is that they support their prosperity and see themselves as the maker of their own state. What they neglect to understand is that their parents have been the greatest partners in their success. They had someone to hold them when they fall. The youngsters get the finest education and propel a stage in their professions accomplishing great positions. This achievement some of the time gets into their heads and adulterates their modest and coherent nature. They build up a bossy and pompous character which comes up short on the modesty to offer help to their parents.

The rising issue of generation gap has also contributed to the problem of old aged parents being left abandoned. People are becoming more individualistic by their nature. Under such circumstances, the younger generation is least interested to listen and understand the conventional ideas of their parents and grandparents.

Family as an organization has begun losing its very core to give the essential amount of consideration, friendship, and respect to the more seasoned individuals from the family. This gulf between the younger generation and grandparents in the family is extending step by step. Age gap prompts repeated clashes in any family and some place the more experienced age is accused for their non-versatile methodologies. The culture and tradition in India have preserved the respect and integrity for the relation of the parents and children. Parents for the children were someone equivalent to the almighty, who support and assist us in our tender years. With the passage of time, the modernization tore this strong cultural fabric in India in most of the families.

According to census 2011, 15 million elderly people (aged 60 or above) out of 104 million are living alone. Various schemes have been enacted to address this issue. The Government of India has enacted Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 a legislation enacted in 2007, initiated by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, to provide more effective provision for maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens. This Act make it a legal obligation for children and heirs to provide maintenance to senior citizens and parents, by monthly allowance. This Act also provides simple, speedy and inexpensive mechanism for the protection of life and property of the older persons.

The Parents Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring (PRANAM) Bill launched by the State Govt. of Assam is another such example.

The PRANAM Bill makes it mandatory for the state government employees to look after their parents and unmarried differently-abled siblings who do not have their own sources of income. Under the bill’s provisions, if the PRANAM Commission gets a complaint that parents of a state government employee are being ignored, then 10 or 15 per cent of the employee’s salary will be deducted by the government and paid to the parents or differently-abled siblings. The employees of private companies and the central government working in the state would also be covered by the bill at a later stage.

The millennials are also being called as the ‘club sandwich’ generation as most of them are supporting both their younger and older generation. By analysis of population data, they are found to be the most stressed section of the society. As a result, elder abuse has become more common.

Though several schemes are in place, a report by HelpAge India showed that only 11% of the elders were aware of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.

Children are considering their parents a burden after a certain point and start to disrespect or avoid them. They fail to see the situation from their parents’ viewpoint. Awareness needs to be generated in people that whatever position they have achieved in life became possible because of the support of their parents. By abandoning them, they are not only making their parents’ lives miserable but also setting a bad example for the younger generation.

The answer to whether parents are a burden to the new generation will vary from person to person depending on their situation. In the end, if we take pride in taking care of our parents instead of considering them as burden we can make this world a better place for everyone.

References

• Iyer, R. (2018, December 20). Why do the parents in their old age become a burden for their children?. Retrieved from https://www.tutorialspoint.com/why-do-the-parents-in-their-old-age-become-a-burden-for-their-children