THE BURDEN OF THE SANDWICH GENERATION
India Today|December 04, 2023
Juggling your financial needs with those of your children and aging parents is a challenge that can be overcome with a little bit of prudence
Narayan Krishnamurthy
THE BURDEN OF THE SANDWICH GENERATION

Old-time residents of Malleswaram will remind you of many historical events associated with the locality. It has pockets where generations have continued to reside and have long-standing bonds. Like many other homes here, the Shastri household has four generations living in an independent house, which has stood here for over half a century. Over time, the house has witnessed its share of modifications to meet the changing needs of the family as well as to address the issues of modernity. "My father inherited this house from his father and the house has a history that dates back to over a hundred years," beams a proud 56-year-old Seshadri Shastri.

The two-storey house is home to Seshadri and his wife, his octogenarian parents, his mother-in-law who will be soon turning 80, his son and daughter-in-law and the youngest in the household, his two-year-old granddaughter. He has another son, who is completing his master's. Besides the eight family members, the house has a full-time help and a other staff who trickle in and out to help them manage their needs.

"I am up most days by 5 am to get my shot of coffee and fight any residual sleep," says Rama, Seshadri's wife. The claimants for coffee at that hour include her husband and her mother, who moved in with them a year ago after her father's demise.

Up north in Noida, "it's overwhelming trying to manage it all," for 42-yearold Rashi Arora, who is a caregiver for her parents as well as her in-laws, besides having her house to look after with one school- and one college-going daughter and businessman husband.

"I am maintaining two households, as my parents refused to move in with me, even though space wasn't a constraint," she adds. She is lucky that her parents agreed to move into an apartment close to hers, which helps reduce her commute in case of any emergencies that crop up with them.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 04, 2023 من India Today.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 04, 2023 من India Today.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من INDIA TODAY مشاهدة الكل
Shuttle Star
India Today

Shuttle Star

Ashwini Ponnappa was the only Indian to compete in the inaugural edition of BDMNTN-XL, a new international badminton tourney with a new format, held in Indonesia

time-read
1 min  |
November 25, 2024
There's No Planet B
India Today

There's No Planet B

All Living Things-Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) returns with 72 films to be screened across multiple locations from Nov. 22 to Dec. 8

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
AMPED UP AND UNPLUGGED
India Today

AMPED UP AND UNPLUGGED

THE MAHINDRA INDEPENDENCE ROCK FESTIVAL PROMISES AN INTERESTING LINE-UP OF OLD AND NEW ACTS, CEMENTING ITS REPUTATION AS THE 'WOODSTOCK OF INDIA'

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
A Musical Marriage
India Today

A Musical Marriage

Faezeh Jalali has returned to the Prithvi Theatre Festival with Runaway Brides, a hilarious musical about Indian weddings

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
India Today

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Nikhil Advani’s adaptation of Freedom at Midnight details our tumultuous transition to an independent nation

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
Family Saga
India Today

Family Saga

RAMONA SEN's The Lady on the Horse doesn't lose its pace while narrating the story of five generations of a family in Calcutta

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
THE ETERNAL MOTHER
India Today

THE ETERNAL MOTHER

Prayaag Akbar's new novel delves into the complexities of contemporary India

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
TURNING A NEW LEAF
India Today

TURNING A NEW LEAF

Since the turn of the century, we have lost hundreds of thousands of trees. Many had stood for centuries, weathering storms, wars, droughts and famines.

time-read
1 min  |
November 25, 2024
INDIA'S BEATING GREEN HEART
India Today

INDIA'S BEATING GREEN HEART

Ramachandra Guha's new book-Speaking with Nature-is a chronicle of homegrown environmentalism that speaks to the world

time-read
3 mins  |
November 25, 2024
A NEW LEASE FOR OLD FILMS
India Today

A NEW LEASE FOR OLD FILMS

NOSTALGIA AND CURIOSITY BRING AUDIENCES BACK TO THE THEATRES TO REVISIT MOVIES OF THE YESTERYEARS

time-read
6 mins  |
November 25, 2024