Boomer parents being judgemental about gig economy income

[Cupofteaandnewspaper]

This is something I’ve noticed with myself but also a close friend. Our parents don’t understand our gig economy incomes and are very against it all, and only encourage us to have one job that’s a salaried thing they understand (e.g. run of the mill admin for a large company they’ve heard of).

I’m very into diversifying my income and developing a trickle portfolio through multiple platforms, all I get is negativity when I discuss this! I’m doing the safe thing of having a salary and building up on the side, I really see a lot of potential in what I’m doing and I wish my parents could see that it’s paying for various things. All I want is positive encouragement rather than being told it’s a bad idea!

Sounds like it’s the way you’re describing it. I opened the thread expecting it to be about parents failing to understand how difficult it is to get a steady job and their lack of appreciation that doing Uber, deliveroo, etc., is real, hard work.

If I was the person in that Korean article, I’d describe myself as a writer and translator. Or whatever accounts for the bulk of the time. ‘Gig economy’ is very often used in a critical sense about how companies are avoiding the responsibilities of being an employer. If you aren’t making a comment on what is a very negative trend for many people (low-paid insecure work) and you’ve embraced freelancing, not just say you are what you are - even if that’s four or five different things?

@MrsTerryPratchett

I expect your parents are Generation X

The stealth generation. Also the best.

It really is, isn't it.

If I was the person in that Korean article, I’d describe myself as a writer and translator. Or whatever accounts for the bulk of the time

Speaking from experience, if you say you are a writer, people assume you write novels. Perhaps newspaper articles. Writing for websites or blogs is not often something people are familiar with. And if you say "translator" then they think about people at the EU in a little booth translating what Merkle said to Macron.

And if you say you are freelance and work from home, people think you're about to launch into a sales pitch for Aloe Vera.

I'm Gen x and Karen is my role model - you have a few insecure jobs with no benefits - I'm with your elderly 70+ parents!

And if you say "translator" then they think about people at the EU in a little booth translating what Merkle said to Macron.

Isn't that interpretation not translation?

If you genuinely have boomer parents you are surely mature enough to understand the downsides of working in the gig economy.

It can work well for people who would be several decades younger than yourself but once you have your own dependents it is a much less successful model.

My uncle is a 60 year old Boomer with kids in early secondary school so let's not assume OP's age.

I’d say I’m looking to them for emotional support. I’ve achieved a lot in my (as you say) “freelancing” but to them it doesn’t exist/is deserving of a disapproving mumble, even though it’s an income. So my part time salary is the only thing they appreciate, and to me it’s just my pension. I don’t need their financial support or a mortgage, that’s covered. And my partner has a good job. I just feel like my achievements are invisible when I speak to my parents and it affects my self confidence. Reading through these replies I see I need to develop a better sense of myself outside of conversations with family.

I know what you mean, knitter. I actually was a translator and writer in a past life, although it was one FT employed role rather than freelancing - definitely not working for the UN or the EU (and I’ve explained the difference between translating and interpreting hundreds of times) and my writing was online content too. They were accurate descriptions of what I did even if they didn’t fit with people’s preconceptions. And surely more readily understandable than talking about trickle portfolios?!

I guess is it stable? Does it pay the rent? How will it work long term?

It’s great to have dreams and to do various jobs to support your main job or your hobby but it all depends what you mean op. There are still lots of stable employment jobs, normally you need one whilst you have little things on the side that are more to do with passions.

My work is more like this op (early 30s) so I get it but my dh has the more stable one. We take turns.

Maybe they are just bored of you waffling on.

@Lesperance

I don't understand, you must be 40+ to have parents who would be considered the baby boom generation, surely? So you have been in work for 15 years or more? This doesn't make sense. I don't think you know what the baby boom was. It's post war. Post war babies have kids in their 40s now.

My sister is the child of a boomer (as am I obviously) she’s only 27.

@Jedsnewstar

Maybe they are just bored of you waffling on.

Ok boomer?

I’d want to know how your gig economy jobs build on one another? Are you expanding a business, building skills, or are you treading water? So many gig economy jobs seem to be about earning in that moment and don’t directly provide a conduit to improving your earnings in the future. If you have managed to improve on the base model, then your parents are being unreasonable. If you haven’t, then they have a point.

Also, while it is possible your parents are actually Boomers, I too am skeptical that you are using the term accurately.

"Ok boomer?"

If this is how you conduct yourself when discussing these matters with your parents, then it's no wonder they judge you and give you some stick. It's childish.

It’s so true isn’t it that each generation thinks they’re distinct and have unique challenges, with new solutions?

It’s all just the same shit given a new name.

Ok boomer?

Can't IMAGINE where your parents are coming from. 🙄

Why the quotation marks around freelancing, op? It’s a pretty standard term for the sort of work described in the article you linked to. I might have misinterpreted, but it comes across like you’re negative about the word - a bit like how you say your parents are judging your career.

In what way is having a salary and then working on something else on top the “gig economy”?

I read 'trickle' as 'tickle' and was momentarily intrigued 😁

@JunkIsland I’ve internalised their critical voices. Yeah, I might look childish responding to someone who says I’m causing boredom by waffling, at least I’m not internalising that insult too. It’s a joke in response to an insult.

Sounds like they think you are a jack of all trades but a master of none. I think it would be more of a worry if your child didn't have a well paid job in the main. Yours sound run of the mill (nothing wrong with that) but not one you particularly enjoy? Maybe depending on your age they expect you to have figured out what you want to do by now and focus on that rather than having fingers in several pies? I suppose it's a bit wishy washy and maybe that is what they don't like.

I would just ask them to be honest, state how you feel and what you need from them in terms of support and encouragement. See what they say.

But you have waffled on and not just stated in plain simple English what it is you are doing for work. Like I said in a previous post, it's corporate bollocks and signals that someone doesn't know what they're talking about.

If you're confident you'll have an adequate pension from your part-time salary and that you could still pay the mortgage if you split up with your partner, then crack on.

[quote Cupofteaandnewspaper]@JunkIsland I’ve internalised their critical voices. Yeah, I might look childish responding to someone who says I’m causing boredom by waffling, at least I’m not internalising that insult too. It’s a joke in response to an insult.[/quote]
You insulted your parents with the very first word of the thread title by calling them 'boomers'. That tends to only be used in a pejorative sense.

There really was no need to refer to their age at all. Why not just say 'parents'?