to think some retired people completely forget what it’s like to be working full time?

I laughed and told him to sod off!

The thing is @cupofcup women do know what you're going through.
But I wish I had the "tiredness" of 20 years ago.
I worked full time,had kids,recently buried my mother.
Had hassle of caring for my uncle.
But at least when I went to bed I'd wake up feeling refreshed.

Now I'm 53 multiple health conditions, and the fatigue is awful.

So you don't know which way you'll feel in a few years.

“Rights”?! Are you a human being with a heart, or a brain dead bot?

I’m late 50’s and don’t work. I don' feel old at all, but when I compare what I’m able to take in my stride compared to what my 28yo dd can in a day, I can see the difference. The old adage is so true.. the leas you do, the less you can do.

That's your choice. The important thing is that we should have a choice.

You don't realise how privileged you are. You wrote that you did it because you loved them, so obviously you had a nice caring parent.

Many people have abusive parents.

I know of an elderly woman who is severely ill. She is dying. None of her children will speak to her at all because she abused them so badly whem they were children.

I know a woman who's mother constantly told her she was stupid and ugly when she was a child. She will not help her mother now that her mother is old. She won't even speak to her mother.

When i was a child myself, my mother constantly called me stupid, fat and ugly. My mother used to hit my brother with sticks. She enjoyed torturing us. My brother doesnt speak to my mother at all. I certainly wont be taking care of my mother in her old age.

You sound like someone I’d be friends with @Chamb

Agreed

I was one of those women and nobody asked me to do it. I did it because I loved them and it never occurred to me not to. I imagine most women in that situation are like me. “Rights” never enter the equation.

It's all just about perspective and what you're used to though isn't it? I have three kids AND I work full time AND I'm a solo parent, so this sounds like a breeze to me!

But in the same way I don't begrudge you for thinking that what you do is a lot, I don't begrudge my dad for telling me how incredibly busy he is because he has 2 appointments that week (although I might internally roll my eyes a bit!). We all have different capacities.

ETA: I just try to be grateful that I'm young, fit and able enough to be able to manage my busy life.

I did, yes.

And then I cared for DH.

@cupofcup I can't wait to retire and forget entirely what it was like to work fulltime, have young kids, never have a minute to myself etc etc etc..... 😂

Yes. It’s tedious. Often coupled with requests that can impinge on the time you do have.

I’m 39 and am already living this way as far as is humanly possible 😄ideal life!

What about all the women who are asked to take care of their elderly parents? Even though they are working fulltime and often have children.

Do those women have any rights?

I really notice the difference between the energy I had 15 years ago and the energy I have now, I think it’s declined by at least 30%.

I used to be able to do 3 ‘things’ a day. 2 would be work, 1 would be leisure. Now I want to be in my pyjamas at 6pm as I have no further energy left at all.

Im perfectly healthy and for the 2 ‘things’ a day I bustle plenty so it’s definitely ageing.

I hope you refused.

You are right. Agism is currently à cultural blind spot, so that ignorant people spew their toxic prejudice freely. There is no campaign OLDER LIVES MATTER to shame people out of their complacency. Societies seniors are routinely overlooked and bullied by many ignorant people and the campaign for raised awareness is slow in coming because older people are not narcissists that draw attention to their woes all over the media.

Retired neighbour rolls his eyes at us gardening on Sunday (day of rest apparently!) more like the only day we have!!!

That is extremely irritating OP. You don’t have to justify yourself here!
Plenty of women do recall what life was like in the early days of child rearing, especially if they had to go back to work!
I am retired now but can well remember how full on life was when DC were small (I went back to work immediately after maternity leave and stayed working until retirement.)
If my DH had not done his full share of the childcare I could not have done it at all. We were also able to pay for a cleaner and our joint income meant life was comfortable financially but, as I say, very full on indeed.
I couldn’t do anything like as much these days.

Do you have to look after an older person?

I have seen my friend cry at having to take care of her children and her elderly mother.

I have seen another friend have a breakdown from taking care of her elderly mother.

Of course elderly people that we take care of, are a burden. Taking care of them exhausts people mentally and physically.

I don't agree older people are a burden at all.
I do think this is an appalling, ageist thing to say, and to assume everyone feels this way is even worse.

I'm not sure it's a Retired thing, I think it's more of a Human thing. Some people just love thinking they're busier than everyone else, and telling everyone else about it.

Yeah.
OP is also forgetting that retired people have been there, done that.
See how you feel when you're old OP, then pop back and apologise....

Hey OP after 42 years of working....I still remember how hard it was juggling everything, but now retired (and I do still work) it's actually what you need as you get older (retirement that is). You just don't have the same amount of energy, motivation and why? Our agency in life is to do what is true to us at each chapter as you will understand when you get there.

I couldn't compete with my corporate self at 30/40 now and tbh wouldn't want to. Let the young ones have the big salaries and opportunity.

BTW I also love the bees and butterflies in my garden now that I'm not so on top of it!