0 to 30 to 60 to 90: Four Generations

Abstract

Dennis was pleased that over 40 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren attend the 65th wedding anniversary celebration he and his wife organized for his parents. The joy of the moment was somewhat overshadowed by all the other issues facing him. Many of those issues involved deciding between two desirable choices (what scholars call dialectical tensions). He recently had to tell his parents it was time to quit driving. He wanted to spend time with his grandchildren in part to help his children with childcare which closed one week each summer, but that also meant making sure a sibling was in town to watch his parents while they traveled. It also seemed like it might be time to move his parents into assisted living to get help managing his father’s dementia. Trying to manage all of these issues was challenging as he continued to work and try to maintain work-life balance.