Childfree Reflections

With Marcia Drut-Davis

Archive for the ‘AARP Assumptions’ Category

August 29th, 2011 by Marcia Davis

AARP Magazine: “When Your Kids, Don’t Have Kids” Sept/Oct Issue

Here we go again! First the title. Come on AARP. Not everyone who reads your magazine has children. Your title assumes that your readers are all parents. I read through 5 pages of how to overcome the tragedy of not having grandkids. Not one message about statistics showing how many grandparents are miserable or let down with stark realities of grandchildren. How many never receive a phone call, email or card on their birthdays? How many have to dip into their own retirement accounts to bail out grandchildren making poor choices?

Who out there has the chutzpah to honestly share those unhappy gut-wrenching stories? That would take courage, wouldn’t it. …when everyone thinks having grandchildren is the icing on the cake of parenting.