Are we different than our parent's generation of seniors?

My parents were notably more accomplished and outgoing despite my father's drinking problem than I am. Regrettably my family seems to be experiencing a generational decline. Perhaps I have availed myself more of the freedom to do your own thing that came into vogue in the 60's where as my parents were somewhat more confined to do what society expected of them.
 
Yes I think so, my parents life revolved arround who they were catching up with down the pub, I personally couldn't think of anything worse than going to the pub and sitting hours just drinking and smoking ,Oh you could smoke inside in those days, and I'm guessing you can't smoke inside anymore in most countries.
I had a young brother who was fairly neglected because of their habits, but then again we all were neglected because of the drink. My young brother was only 9 when his father passed away, Both parents passé away in their early 60s as a result of drinking/ smoking and now I'm in my late 60s I think what a waste it was to abuse your body to that extent .
Personally I have never smoked or drank.
 

The freedom that followed allowed subsequent generations to do their thing and "find" themselves and thus lead tp narcisstitic children as my post today on HotTopics makes mention of...
 
I think we are healthier and more active than earlier generations. Back them old folks were expected to sit in their rocking chairs. This is definitely not a rocking chair group here. I see people jetting off around the world leading very active lives. Seniors I know go to senior centers and exercise. You should see them line dancing. No rocking chairs for these old folks!
 
My siblings and I are nothing like our parents were. Our parents were homebodies. My mom had health problems so she wasn't very active, and my dad did a bit of exercise but not much. Not adventurous in any way. Ate the same foods all their lives. Never left the country, nor wanted to. My dad got a computer but my mother had no interest in it. My dad was always interested in politics so always knew what was going on.

I'm really sorry that my mom never got to meet my husband. She died about a year before I met him. She would have liked him.
 
1. They didn't have TV as kids or internet as adults, media information was more suppressed
2. They had less material goods and less plentiful food
3. They grew up during the depression and many were young adults during war years and cold war, so would have been more stressed
I would say my parents were very conservative and cautious in their lifestyles and less willing to spend money on travel and recreation.
 
Josiah09 said:
My parents were notably more accomplished and outgoing despite my father's drinking problem than I am. Regrettably my family seems to be experiencing a generational decline. Perhaps I have availed myself more of the freedom to do your own thing that came into vogue in the 60's where as my parents were somewhat more confined to do what society expected of them.
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Or maybe your parents were both over-achievers and you find your joy out of the simpler things of life because you've seen that your parents 'interests and focus' didn't bring them the kind of joy that you were/are seeking? Could be a positive you know.
 
I guess we're all shaped by the times that we grow up and live in aren't we? Like my mom was a little kid/young person in the Depression and she has the hardest time getting rid of 'stuff'. On the other hand, I grew up without a lot of stuff and then when I left home, we spent money freely (more freely than when should have maybe) and I have an easy time getting rid of stuff that I no longer use.
 
Well, I don't know about other families but my parents were very repressed! I fight myself to be more forth right with my feelings. Especially with my own family. I think, generally speaking most people in our generation are more informed about every aspect of life.
 
In my age group, the previous generation of seniors were "old" at a much younger age. 60 was considered very old..aged. They did not have the interest in health, exercise, hobbies, world affairs ect.....that seniors have now. For the majority of men, retiring meant just sitting and rocking....with perhaps a garden. Most women never got the opportunity to work...so live remained much the same. Cooking and cleaning.
 
ndynt said:
In my age group, the previous generation of seniors were "old" at a much younger age. 60 was considered very old..aged. They did not have the interest in health, exercise, hobbies, world affairs ect.....that seniors have now. For the majority of men, retiring meant just sitting and rocking....with perhaps a garden. Most women never got the opportunity to work...so live remained much the same. Cooking and cleaning.
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Yes women's lives remained much the same. My mom often said, "Retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be" I suppose my dad was underfoot alot of the time.
 
My dad was very active, I rarely saw him sitting still, when I was around him, he was always working and moving, never idle, and a real people person. He wanted me to be like him, to be more social, I was his baby girl being born two days to his birthday, to his disappointment, I was so not the people person, extremely shy as a young girl. However, I did have his get up and go entrepreneurial spirit, he was thrilled with me in that sense especially many years later when he saw some of the things I was trying to accomplish.

My mom, was a stay at home mom, till she wasn't, I really didn't get to know her all that well, but, some of her family often said I reminded them of her. I do think she was an educated woman, I know her sisters have college degrees, I just never got to know much about my mom in that way, but I know education was of major importance in her family. As I've written in the past, there was an issue and after age 8 I wasn't raised entirely by my parents, so, though I still had some contact, my knowledge is sketchy. Most of my contact in later years was with dad and his last wife prior to his death.

I think in a lot of ways, my sibs and I were a lot like our parents, our values were similar and they were forward thinking, to a large degree, they were raised to be for the most part. My parents laid down the law, we obey, simple as that, well, that's how it started out, we certainly wouldn't ever disrespect out elders and were very well mannered in a southern sort of way, that's where my parents were originally from. I think in that way, I took it too far, for many years. I've since grown out of much of those ways though, my mouth has become quite foul. :D
 
Cookie said:
1. They didn't have TV as kids or internet as adults, media information was more suppressed
2. They had less material goods and less plentiful food
3. They grew up during the depression and many were young adults during war years and cold war, so would have been more stressed
I would say my parents were very conservative and cautious in their lifestyles and less willing to spend money on travel and recreation.
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My parents simply did not travel. My Dad's health in his later years made long trips difficult for him. But even when he was younger, they didn't. Of course they were not wealthy, but not poor either. I imagine the depression influenced many of our parents.
 
I think there are too many variables to view it as a simple blanket statement. For example, my dad is 94 and still busy and active on the farm-the idea of biding his time in a rocking chair or nursing home would drive him nuts. I know a number of farmers who, at 80+, are still just as active and sharp as they were at 50.

I also know a number of folks my age (70) who are extremely active (my wife and I included). I also know quite a few seniors around my age who are parked in nursing homes waiting to die.

I can think of many ways in which I'm far different from my parents; on that same note I can think of many ways I'm very similar. There are also regional differences-the demographics of a farming community are vastly different than those of urban apartment dwellers.
 
My Parents never travelled...my mother would have loved to, but my father never would and he wouldn't allow her to go either. They ate the same food all their lives never went out to restaurants, and in the whole 18 years they were married my mother was only taken out 4 times.

My mother was young at heart , married my father who was almost 9 years older than her and already set in his ways at a fairly young age..he was almost 30 when they married she only 21..yet he had no ambition other than to work, go home, eat, watch TV...and go to bed, he had a very old fashioned attitude, and my poor mother was stifled completely , expected to just produce children and clean the house, as well as work when she could.. and tolerate his brutal physical and emotional bullying towards both her and to me his eldest ..( incidentally April I was born on my fathers birthday...and completely opposite to your father ..mine seemed to hate me for it)

Both of them had come from different dysfunctional families and had no concept of good parenting, and so we kids suffered greatly.. so it's hard to gauge if the difference between them and us is a generation thing or an attitude...

Both my parents were children during WW2...my mother was only barely 5 years old when the war ended..and my father just 13, but already he had left school and was working doing a Mans' job.
 
Yes maybe Jim but it was no thanks to my parents I can assure you...it's been a long hard road, and there's a lot of hidden scars.. but thank you for the compliment I'll take it in the spirit in which it was meant :)
 
I am very different than the mother and aunt with whom I grew up. They were highly accomplished, extremely repressed career wome, who found caring for a child annoying to say the least. Add to that mix the fact tat said child was open, emotional, verbal, creative, not good. Narcissists and bullies do not parent, they ignore, criticize, and ridicule. It was like growing up in an ice cube. On a positive note, I used that experience, and other less savory ones from the childhood I never had to develop empathy and compassion towards others. My son has been raised with love, support, and ethical values. He is a happy, and successful person. He once told me, that out of my pain came his strength. Wow.
 

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