Are things harder for millennials?

[squidwid]

Many of my friends don't own houses and they're in their 30s. They did everything that society asked of them and still they're not making headway.

I know so many elderly people that live in 4 bedroom homes worth £400k plus. Obviously there is nothing wrong with that but families should be able to afford those houses so things can move on. No one can afford to buy them...

On the other hand, because they think our generation is useless they gifted us our family home, provid 5 days of childcare a week and give us two childfree days each month. I don't really push back because I am grateful to my parents and I know my mum had to raise me and my sister by herself while my dad worked. Swings and roundabouts.

Provide *

Fair play to you all AND on the plus side, unless i'm very much mistaken, your Mum is a star! she is planning on voting Labour too!!!!

Seriously, my parents could have 3 kids, buy a large house in SE London and my mum pack up work as a nurse, all on my dads salary.

@Emotionalstorm I think the younger generation, including you. are all brilliant, younger people have a lot more to contend with than my generation (born 1963) its like your lives are lived in a goldfish bowl.

Yes, I love my mum. Although she's very stingy with praises she's very protective and kind. She's a wonderful granny and my daughter and I are both lucky to have her. I hope to repay her one day.

Thank you for your kind comment. I have to admit no one has ever said anything nice to me about my generation at work or at home. I also grew up in a family home where we are willing to do anything for each other but say nice things.

I can confirm my mum will vote labour. This has lead to fights with my dad. Part of why I can't vote labour is because of the derision I would get from my husband and dad. My partner thinks it's selfish of my mum to vote against the interests of her husband and son in law.

Dunno about millennial but if I compare my generation (gen x) to my parents (boomers) there were a lot more people I knew at private school despite not being rich, quite ordinary families whereas today I think private schooling is pretty out of reach unless yr really wealthy.

My parents lived in bigger houses, we went on holiday to Greece for 2 weeks in August, pony lessons every weekend....things unimaginable to me now. So money seemed to go further/ things were more affordable.

Oh how the other half live.

You hit the absolute jackpot in terms of material wealth, and were healthy enough to have your children and your parents must be adequately healthy to provide such a high volume of childcare.

It's actually sad though that they have done a great job of convincing you your generation useless!

It's not true. Perhaps start looking at what other people in your generation are juggling - you know, the ones who don't have parents to give them a house or do childcare.

Read about what life is like if you are disabled or if you have a disabled child, and no wealth to cushion those challenges.

Pure anecdata for @Emotionalstorm , but when DS was required to take either Latin or History of Civilisation (he took the latter, being dyslexic in every language!) I randomly came across my 1972 Latin O level papers and photocopied them for his (interested but youthful) teacher who had never seen one. Her comment, in 2013, was that her best AS level/Y12 students would just cope with the translations. So yes, O levels were quite tough which won't be news to the geriatrics and boomers here!

Selection by examination was ruthless then, and it really didn't allow the late-bloomers much of a chance, while over-rewarding the academically minded like me. My DH was generally regarded as a dunce (if a gifted sportsman despite appalling eyesight and dyslexia) yet is the person who has created a very successful small engineering company from nothing, because he's great at people skills and has a commercial mind. And that is something that really cannot be taught, only caught.

Take no notice, my Mum used to say to me, is "the one thing you should never forget as you age, is that you were young once too"

Whenever i ve seen my DD screw up and make some horrendous errors, i remember what i was once like.

My Mum was also a Tory all her life but eventually voted LD and then horror of horrors voted Labour! caused a fallout with my sister.

No one should blame you for having good fortune, just always remember that most people do not & some have horrendous lives.

It is just very hard to compare like with like etc and I am not sure it gets people very far nor makes anyone happier. My children without doubt have it easier but that is partly because I have always worked full time and chose high paid work, help them each buy a property and they have no student loans. That is just my family however.

For the first time in world history we have more people with helath issues on the planet from eating too much than not having enough to eat so each generation comes with its own problems (stuffing our faces today because of the need to eat whilst food was around for once in the dim and distant past).

I disagree that jobs now are more skilled than those of the past. The jobs now are different, of course, but not necessarily more skilled.
Blair was wrong and very naive to suppose that sending half the population would create extra jobs. As the economy changes again, it is very possible that more people will choose the vocational route. University can be wonderful if you are very academic or want to study something for which a degree is essential but this doesn't apply to that many people. Most just end up with £££ of debt and are 3 or 4 years older when they can start earning/ saving.
Agree that the type of jobs available will vary by area.

This shows again just how unrepresentative your experience is.
From what you have written, you are in the top 1% in terms of privilege. Hardly anyone gets bought a home and given free full time childcare. It really is a tiny percentage who have both. Make the most of it!
Your experience is really very different from most Millennials/ Gen Z/ Gen X.
I'm really surprised that at 30 years old you don't know this and still take what your parents say so literally. It's just not true that younger people are useless. They have grown up with a different set of circumstances and expectations. In terms of finances and 'getting ahead', most have it far, far harder than their parents.

I'm thirty by the way. None of my uni or school friends in London have kids yet so I haven't been able to see what they will do about childcare. Most of them (apart from one or two) own their own home with help from the bank of mum and dad.

I know some couples who live in Leeds, Glasgow and Canterbury who have had kids. They all have parental support and free childcare.

It's probably not representative but most of my friends have what I have. My sister in law is even expecting my in laws to pay for private school for her kids.

Yeah, I know, most people have it harder than me. It really depresses me to think about it. I'll make a donation to my local food bank this weekend.

Experience of the old system made my mum and dad put a lot of pressure on me to do well in exams. They were always worried that if I failed at one stage the rest of my life would be much harder. I'm glad it's not like that anymore. I have a three year old daughter and I hope she thrives even if she's not academic.

Some are, some aren't, one size doesn't fit all but the UK isn't alone in making some jobs a degree qualification.

In Germany, a far more successful economy than the UK's, over 30% of students go to Uni, in France 34%, the UK's is around 37%.

But in South Korea, 73% go to University, Japan 52%.

Of course many jobs have been become more technical and require skills that are new and constantly evolving, its worldwide thing.

Not sure why you want the UK to lag behind.

I look around and I can tell you most of my friends are not having children. Out of all my uni, school and work friends who are the same age only a handful have them. Most of my friends are white collar professionals who own their own flat or house (with a mortgage) and went to private or grammar school. They've told me it doesn't take many changes in their life before they end up struggling like the people you refer to.

They've told me it doesn't take many changes in their life before they end up struggling like the people you refer to

That sounds like a good reason to vote for change if things don't improve?

I'm afraid you're right. I've grown up in a bit of a bubble. I didn't go to a comprehensive school. I have never rented apart during the four years I did my masters and bachelors in uni. I have no student loans. I was given a housing deposit to buy a one bed flat when I got my first job (because my dad thought renting was a waste of money). I was then given a family home when I married. My husband and I are additional rate taxpayers. I did have a lot handed to me and I appreciate it. I don't see how it's possible to have a family, secure accomodation and hold down a good job without this kind of help in London.

I'm mid 30s, from a working class background and actually know a decent amount of people who have bought. Yes there are also plenty who rent, and yes some of those who have bought are high income, but also there are some who have bought who aren't.

I am on a high income now but when I bought I was minimum wage and my husband was on about 30k. Decent enough but not super high income. I'd worked since 16, saved an awful lot, been sensible with student loan during uni and working so that I had a decent amount in savings still, and invested that wisely. My husband didn't have savings when we met - he had debt - but he sorted it out and saved too. We didnt have the huge wedding alot of people choose to have and went cheap so as to have savings for a deposit. We got no help from parents. What we did do though was buy at quite a sensible time, it has transpired, and that has meant after sitting on a small home for a very long time overpaying when we can, we made a good chunk and could go up the ladder again.

I personally think it's harder for the generation coming up behind me. I think there actually were opportunities for people now in their mid 30s to buy - subject to of course hurdles like losing employment, disabilities, family/partner deaths, not having someone to buy with etc.

I make good money but I couldn't afford to buy the main family home we have on the salary I make after expenses.

The issue is I don't believe that there is a party who would sincerely act in the interests of the majority of people in this country and sort this out. This is why I end up voting for the party that act in the best interests of my husband in the short term.

In which case you don’t want it to get better.

Who do you think would make things better ?

Anyone except the current government. Do your research, decide what you want improved and choose an alternative.