My Take | The Easternisation of the Western family
- The classic post-war nuclear family in English-speaking countries is giving way to the more traditional intergenerational extended family of oriental societies – it’s mostly thanks to their governments’ decades-long financial mismanagement that has mortgaged their children’s future
A letter from last year by a Post reader struck a chord in me. I certainly share Jerry’s sentiments about the difficulty for Hong Kong parents to retire comfortably, not because they didn’t save enough for themselves, but because many have to continue to take care of their adult children.
We are turning Confucius’ teaching on its head, whereby grown-up children are supposed to take care of their parents. Well, dream on, mums and dads of the world!
I don’t, however, share Jerry’s proposed solution. What provoked him to write was a survey from last year which found that more than one in four local parents aged between 49 and 59 were subsidising the monthly expenses of their working-age children. Many also have to help them pay for their mortgages or down payments for their first homes. The marriage package may also include expenses for holding a luxury wedding.
Now in my mid-50s, that certainly sounds like my life in the near future. I am less than optimistic about the job market when my two children graduate from university in the next few years.
Jerry wrote: “I believe Hong Kong parents should learn from their Western counterparts. When children grow up and leave home, parents can live their lives on their own terms and enjoy their golden years. It is a right they have earned.”