My youngest is 16, a few of his friends are also the youngest (have older sibs) but most are either onlies or the oldest. A conversation, from a few weeks ago haunts me. My son’s 16 year old contemporary’s mom was chatting at a sporting event. The subject was the rotten (rainy) summer we have had and how the grass/weeds growing like crazy. She agreed, because she was having to have the dog poop removal service come out everytime the landscaper guys come to cut the grass. Yes. She HIRES people to pick up dog poop and to cut the grass and she has an able bodied 16 year old in the house! And this family lives in a nice neighborhood, but NOT a yuppie McMansion type...I cannot fathom that the 16 year old does no yard work or my guess, chores at all!
Can’t imagine hiring someone to pick up dog poop. But we didn’t often ask our son to mow the lawn. His allergies meant he’d spend two days dealing with the health consequences. He and his wife chose to live in a condo - and that’s a large part of the reason!
This no chores stuff has been going on forever. I recall having the conversation 15 years ago. Parents shrug and say: “They have their whole lives to work.” End of discussion. Now, those same kids are in their 30s, living at home, on benefits or have been drafted into the family business. If they are in the family business, they seem to wander in and out over time due to wanting to travel or convincing the parents to pay for more school and have never held a real job or if they have, it’s not for long.
Apparent income can be misleading. I know of several instances where the inheritance from the grandparents materializes just as the parents are set for retirement and the *kids* are in their 40s. Sometimes, not even the recipients ever knew there was any family money to be had.