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.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM INDIA TODAYView all
A Life IN MUSIC
India Today

A Life IN MUSIC

To celebrate five decades of a storied musical career, Padma Shri Hariharan is headlining a special concert in Delhi on November 30

time-read
1 min  |
December 09, 2024
MURDERS MOST FOUL
India Today

MURDERS MOST FOUL

SAMYUKTA BHOWMICK'S DEBUT NOVEL, A FATAL DISTRACTION, IS A WHODUNIT THAT GOES BEYOND MERELY PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE MASTERS OF THE GENRE

time-read
2 mins  |
December 09, 2024
Jungle Book
India Today

Jungle Book

Avtar Singh creates a compelling tableau of characters brought together and torn asunder by migration, epidemic and circumstance

time-read
2 mins  |
December 09, 2024
BON VOYAGE
India Today

BON VOYAGE

The award-winning stage adaptation of Yann Martel's Life of Pi is coming to Mumbai this December

time-read
1 min  |
December 09, 2024
Earning His ACTING CHOPS
India Today

Earning His ACTING CHOPS

HIS LATEST STINT IN THE BUCKINGHAM MURDERS, WHICH JUST RELEASED ON NETFLIX, CEMENTS THE MULTI-HYPHENATE RANVEER BRAR'S REPUTATION AS A FINE ACTOR

time-read
2 mins  |
December 09, 2024
Strike a Pose
India Today

Strike a Pose

SOONI TARAPOREVALA'S SERIES DEBUT WAACK GIRLS ON PRIME VIDEO SHINES A LIGHT ON THE STREET DANCE STYLE OF WAACKING

time-read
2 mins  |
December 09, 2024
FATAL ATTRACTION
India Today

FATAL ATTRACTION

In I Want to Talk, Shoojit Sircar continues his exploration of death with the portrait of a tenacious man who beats it time and again

time-read
2 mins  |
December 09, 2024
LOVE LETTER TO THE MOUNTAINS
India Today

LOVE LETTER TO THE MOUNTAINS

'Journeying Across the Himalayas' is a new multidisciplinary festival in Delhi with a focus on the Himalayan region and its communities

time-read
1 min  |
December 09, 2024
The Art of CURATION
India Today

The Art of CURATION

Sunil Kant Munjal, founder patron of the Serendipity Arts Foundation, on how one of our biggest multi-disciplinary festivals came about and what to look forward to in this edition

time-read
3 mins  |
December 09, 2024
THE ROCKY ROAD AHEAD
India Today

THE ROCKY ROAD AHEAD

A US court's allegations of bribery in solar power contracts and US markets watchdog SEC's charges of concealing wrongdoings have jolted Gautam Adani's business empire. Even as he mounts a strong defence against the indictment, the group faces a crisis of investor confidence that may impact its growth plans

time-read
10 mins  |
December 09, 2024