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

[cupofcup]

I know retirement is not always easy and older people can have health issues, caring responsibilities etc. But I do think some people genuinely forget what it is like to juggle work, commuting, childcare, housework and just basic life admin all at once.

My DM is retired and will often say how busy she is because she has shopping on Tuesday and a doctor’s appointment on Friday. That is apparently an exhausting week. She is in good health and active. Meanwhile most working people are fitting those things around 40+ hour working weeks.

My retired neighbour constantly comments on how awful another neighbour’s garden looks and how she should tidy it up. The neighbour she is talking about is a working mum with young children who leaves the house at 7am every day. My retired neighbour has a gardener.

Obviously NOT ALL retired people are like this at all. Some are incredibly understanding and helpful. But others seem to completely lose perspective on how relentless working life can be, especially with children.

A few years ago DH and I both worked from home. His parents took that to mean we were at home for visitors so would just randomly show up at our house in the middle of the day for one of their cups of tea and stay for 6 hours visits.

They were most put out when we told them to stop coming during the week because we were at work. They never came round our house again, which frankly was a result!. But told all the relatives we worked ‘weird hours’ (we didn’t) and that they never saw us (they did). I guess they just forgot work was work and that we couldn’t just take the day off to entertain them.

I think one of the things to think about given some of the comments is to have some idea of a plan for retirement. I'm not thinking about the financial side. So your life is not so little that you have time to make some of the comments that have been mentioned.

Going from five days at work, wherever it is and whatever it is, to none at all is a large step, even if you planned your retirement date years in advance.

I am not long off retirement and did the work online course about planning for it. Judging by some of the comments, what seemed self evident and even patronising in part of the course, might not be the case given how little some people have planned for it.

Did you understand my post? Spending some time on here is not like baking bread, tending to the garden for hours on end like DM is telling me to do.

Can you really not see the difference?

My retired Uncle couldn't understand why I couldn't pop round and see him on a WFH day.

No, sorry I can’t see the difference.
It takes the same time to go through posts and respond as it does to do other things. In your case, you do it because you do it while you are sitting at you desk and you may get found out if you leave your desk. If you can do all this reading/posting in a day then you are not busy working.

OP, there are people who have busy working lives but you are obviously not one of them. You make a bad argument and do the hardworking ones a disservice.

It’s not a full time job 🤣 some people have three or more children AND work. That would mean they have two full jobs which is impossible!

This is a very cunty thread

it's VERY rare that someone does their paid full time job while looking after their kids at the same time.

If you need to employ someone, anyone to do childcare while you are at work, then clearly it's a full time job.

I have.

You're being a martyr because you say you have no time at all, not because you dont watch tv for 4 hours a night

So she's never had to juggle work and looking after children? It doesn't sound as though her life in retirement is very much different from her life pre-retirement after her children grew up and left home. It sounds like she has always had time to do housework and gardening.

Does she help you with your children?

People like that were probably never very sympathetic or understanding throughout their adult life. I’m retired and sympathise with working parents who have to juggle on a day to day basis. I remember it well.

Are you not able to multi task then?

You figure that out from barely any information?

Please don't ever be a detective 😂

Report it then.

I never said I had no time at all 🙄

No she doesn't help with DC.

Nope, p'raps it's because you work for the Daily Mail 😉 ?

I guess it's because I'm a sad, old, tired, retired, etc. baggage I still don't understand why an employer would be considered archaic if they expected an employee to work while they are at work.

Come on, OP, tell us what job you have that enables you to WFH and keep popping in to SM. Maybe some of us sad old baggages could get a life and join you. 😊

It sounds better than saying, oh I don't do anything unless you count shopping on Tuesday and the Dr. on Thursday.

It also stops family filling their nice relaxed retirement with school pick ups and babysitting!

My almost housebound MIL was far too busy to accept a visit from her brother who travelled about 100 miles to drop off her Xmas present 🙄.

I'm planning on being very busy doing sweet heehaw when I retire.

I have worked for 42 years, when I retire in 7 years I will have zero interest in what is going on at work. I will have earned that.
A lot of the younger generation could not cope with what we had to, when we first started work, with no workers protected rights. We didn’t complain, we just accepted it. We knew no different.
Stop making this about a war between generations. One day you will retire and you won’t give a scooby do about work.

I do work at work but my boss doesn't mind if take a break at quiet times to do other things. Work is not always the same intensity all the time. I have gone above and beyond on many occasions.

It is not the Daily Mail 😉

Nobody is saying you have to give a scooby about work. It is not about a war between generations.

Lovely that you didn't complain and accepted no workers protected rights. That is not what this thread is about.

I am not allowed to come round to DM's on laundry day 😂

Then you are very lucky.
i work in a school.
if i get a 30 minute break all day, its a win.