4 ms·

This is something I really struggle with. I'm now middle class, but the horror of growing up poor still sticks with me. I have severe nightmares about being poo

This is something I really struggle with. I'm now middle class, but the horror of growing up poor still sticks with me. I have severe nightmares about being poor again, I just can't go back. I tend to overwork, and hoard thing at times. The most difficult thing these days, is my kids. I'm extremely happy that they don't know how bad things can be, but I get extremely worried by that too. I get worried, that they don't try hard enough because they don't understand how bad things in life can get. I get worried that they are far too trusting because times are so good and plentiful. Life can change good or bad in an instant.

ncmncm 4y ago
There is no middle class anymore. That has been eliminated by deliberate policy. At best you are mid-upper lower class. If you have any worry about being able to get along if you lost your job and had a major life-threatening illness, you are still lower class like the rest of us.
diob 4y ago
All I can say is to treat them well and set them up for success. I've noticed folks sometimes fall into the trap of trying to give their kids nothing to teach them lessons. Early help in life has compounding effects.
em-bee 4y ago
this shows how big a difference a good social net makes. i grew up poor, with a single parent, on social welfare (because the parent could not work since they had to stay home to take care of us kids until we were older) in germany. social welfare paid our rent and gave us enough money that we could afford everything we needed. (we didn't need a car, and we didn't have a tv, but that was by choice. they would probably have paid the tv, had we wanted one). i never felt any struggle. when i moved out from home, i never needed money from my parents either. always paid my own way. i was never rich. i just learned to live frugal. and i am not at all scared of being poor again, because i know that there is a social net that i have access to if i need it.

ncmncm 4y ago

There is no middle class anymore. That has been eliminated by deliberate policy. At best you are mid-upper lower class. If you have any worry about being able to get along if you lost your job and had a major life-threatening illness, you are still lower class like the rest of us.

diob 4y ago

All I can say is to treat them well and set them up for success. I've noticed folks sometimes fall into the trap of trying to give their kids nothing to teach them lessons. Early help in life has compounding effects.

em-bee 4y ago

this shows how big a difference a good social net makes. i grew up poor, with a single parent, on social welfare (because the parent could not work since they had to stay home to take care of us kids until we were older) in germany. social welfare paid our rent and gave us enough money that we could afford everything we needed. (we didn't need a car, and we didn't have a tv, but that was by choice. they would probably have paid the tv, had we wanted one). i never felt any struggle. when i moved out from home, i never needed money from my parents either. always paid my own way. i was never rich. i just learned to live frugal. and i am not at all scared of being poor again, because i know that there is a social net that i have access to if i need it.