Inheritance is almost always a touchy subject. Some people feel entitled to the wealth the family has amassed over generations by virtue of being related to you. But family means more than DNA and helping each other out when things are going well. Family is also about duty and supporting each other through tough times. It can be devastating to realize that your own children might not love you as much as you love them.
That’s what happened to internet user u/Quick-Teacher-3016. He opened up about how he’s thinking about spending all of the family wealth on himself instead of leaving it to his kids. All because they let him know that they refuse to take care of him in the future, when he gets old. You can read the full story and the opinions the net shared with the man below.
Some people argue that the family wealth should be passed on to the youngest generation
Image credits: arkhangelovaoksana (not the actual photo)
The father in this family decided differently once his kids refused to take care of him when he’s old
Image credits: voronaman111 (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Quick-Teacher-3016
In some countries, it is legally binding to visit your elderly parents often
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
From the perspective of Western countries, the kids should be mostly responsible for themselves and their families. Many of the parents say it’s normal.
It might be a shock if the kids say they won’t care for you when you’re old if it’s deeply ingrained in your country’s traditions, though. For example, China has passed a law not letting children of the family neglect their elderly. According to The Week magazine, “Offspring who fail to visit mom and dad often, regardless of how far away they live, face potential punishment ranging from fines to jail time.”
Similarly to China, kids take care of their elderly parents in most of Asia. It is difficult to imagine such laws in Western countries, but France did, in fact, pass a similar law, requiring kids to visit their elderly parents. “It was only enacted following two disturbing events, though: One was the publication of statistics revealing France had the highest rate of pensioners taking their lives in Europe, and the other was the aftermath of a heat wave that killed 15,000 people — most of them elderly, and many of whom had been dead for weeks before they were found.”
Whereas in other parts of the world, the whole family lives together, including grandparents, children, and grandchildren
Image credits: Johnny Cohen (not the actual photo)
In some Latin and Mediterranean countries, like Spain, Greece, Brazil, and Argentina, people tend to live together as one big family – with grandparents, kids, and the grandchildren. If some people want to move out, though, it usually happens in later stages of life. For example, in Greece, contrary to other countries, like the Scandinavian ones, it is considered completely normal to live with your parents in your thirties or for the rest of your life.
It is, however, a law in only a number of countries to take care of the elderly. And just like in today’s story, what are they supposed to do? It is probably only right to keep some of the children’s inheritance money for your own matters. The father in this family decided to travel to some places he’s always wanted to go. Maybe we shouldn’t only do fun stuff while we’re young, but also once we’re older?
The commentators thought the father was not a jerk for keeping the inheritance
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