Millennials lament the phenomenon of rich Boomer parents refusing to help their struggling kids: 'I would give my last dollar to my son to make sure he was more comfortable'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Oct 17, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

It is no secret that a lot of millennials and Gen Z have thus far struggled to reach the levels of social mobility and financial security that were enjoyed by many in the generations that came before them. It's long been accepted that the privileged few who do escape this downward trend usually have ample help from their family. 

However, not every well-off Boomer is reaching into their pockets to help their kids, even when they have shown that they are willing to work for it. This was the subject of a recent Twitter thread that discussed a late 30s millennial ranting about how despite his hard work, he was struggling to maintain a decent quality of life for his young family. Both his father and father-in-law had millions in the bank but had not offered any help to him and his wife. While few people want to accept charity, it does seem like there is some unfair stinginess going on here. 

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    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
     

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    r/Millennials u/FunkyNedAvenger is wrong with our parents? Aug 31, 2024, 18:02 My wife and I have spent almost two decades of leveling up in jobs and careers and are now in our late 30s with two small children in a HCOL state. We scraped and suffered to buy a small ranch house and two used larger cars for our family. Our credit suffered. I'm personally in $20k+ of cc debt that I am slowly working down. Our kids attend daycare that bled out savings dry. Typical millennial Last week I came across
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    X Talks @XtalksXtruth .1d Replying to @lporiginalg "we will make a better world for our children." "we will make a better world for our children." you entitled brats" "kids? not happening"
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    Fredward Bolder @Fredward1099.1d Replying to @lporiginalg Boomers will say "hard work pays off" and "life ain't fair" in the same breath
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    Cal @CallaMcE 23h Replying to @lporiginalg Yeah. I don't get this idea of letting your kids suffer. You can't take that money to the grave, why not send your grandchild to a private school? It used to be super common in years past to "sponsor" a young relatives education if you could afford to. I don't get the selfishness
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    Fredward Bolder @Fredward1099.1d: Replying to @lporiginalg This hurts to read, but it's all too common unfortunately
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    Lulu Addict @LuluAddict Replying to @lporiginalg Follow Any millennials ever look into how much skilled nursing facilities cost? The place my dad is in is $18K a month. They should be glad their parents have that much money socked away. Once the parents get older and see their money will outlast them I'm sure they'll start dispersing it to their kids but if they're younger retirees the level of inflation has got to scare the out of them.
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    Daily Walk @frozen_mangoes. 20h Replying to @lporiginalg I agree that parents don't "owe" your adult children anything, but if I have $10M plus in net worth and they are responsible God loving people.. I'm definitely helping them out
    via frozen_mangoes
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    Rando @UndercoverRando • 1d Replying to @lporiginalg Thank God my boomer parents aren't like this. Mine helped me get started in life but were always ready to help if I ever needs it (which I rarely did)
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    obvious @ObviousUniverse. 1d Replying to @lporiginalg Most boomers are literally incapable of comprehending that other generations have it much harder that they did.
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    Tanner X Rubicon @tannerXrubicon Replying to @lporiginalg Follow The problem with Boomers isn't that they didn't hand everything to their offspring on a silver platter; it's that they destroyed the cultural, economic, and political conditions that they enjoyed to get them where they are, cutting the legs out from under subsequent generations.
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    lizzational @lizzational 22h Replying to @lporiginalg • This guy doesn't get it. He has to make his own way, be a good son to his parents, and ONE DAY he may inherit the very wealth he is complaining about. We all have to work for what we have, no one owes us, not even our parents.
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    daily cosmic news @dailycosmicnews Replying to @lporiginalg they don't care about you they're probably the most selfish generation of all Follow
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    The Chivalry Guild @ChivalryGuild Follow God bless everyone born between '45 and '64 who didn't turn out like this, who didn't develop the true Boomer state of mind.
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    Maréchal Lannes @_JeanLannes Follow Parents should support their kids even after they've left the household
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    Amanda bert @amandadeibert • 15h I'm of two minds here. #1 I would give everything I have to my child at the drop of a hat and will until my dying breath. #2 No one is entitled to a dime from their parents after they turn 18
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    COME HERE Speed option Qb @Why MaxSo_iLL • 22h bro, you got nearly 10m and you can't help out your daughter with debt or child. care? That's sick
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    Jeremy @JBplays DG - 8h I get the sentiment of not wanting entitled children but from what I see/hear there are so many parents who simply do not understand how much harder it is to achieve the same standard of living they had 20 years ago.
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    @ribsauce 22h I don't see why so many people are cooking this guy. It is a great point wealthy boomers would of course never consider since they are the most selfish generation ever. 100k would be a rounding error to a lot of them but have a material impact on their children's quality of life
    via ribsauce
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    Brittany Martinez @BritMartinez Subscribe I don't understand the boomer mentality of not helping your kids whatsoever and then passing away and leaving an inheritance. Wouldn't you rather help your family when they're young and need it? I'm all about hard work. But my siblings and I would help my parents and in-laws at the drop of a hat. And my parents have always been so generous when they can. Maybe it's because they're GenX. People hate on "Nepo" babies but at least their parents help them ge
    via BritMartinez

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twitter poor Twitter Thread kids millennials baby boomers boomers family Reddit money rich parents
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