You may be coming from a well-meaning place, but there are important points to consider.
Americans are working until later and later in life.
(According to one 2022 survey,71% of baby boomerssay they feel behind on saving for retirement.)
As a result, the workforce is becoming older than ever.
Today, that number has fallen to 45%.
Over that same period, workers over 60 have become twice as common.
Its not just money concerns that keepbaby boomers the generation born between 1946 and 1964 working.
But could it come across as an overstep, or a tad condescending, to have that talk?
Is askingHave you thought about retiring soon?a bit helicopter child of you?
(Helicopter parentsare so named because they hover over their childrens every move and decision.
Naturally, the inverse of the bang out a helicopter adult child exists, too.)
Experts we spoke to were divided on the subject.
It may help shift the focus of worry to a more productive problem-solving perspective.
Youre a collaborator or an adviser in this, not the one calling the shots.
This is a sensitive topic because it shifts the power dynamic in a typical parent-child relationship.
before jumping in, saidCelia Roberts Hughes, a financial therapist based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Are you concerned about their safety or ability to maintain their integrity in their careers?
Or is it possible that youre projecting your own feelings onto them?
Does their retirement benefit you in some way, perhaps helping with their grandchildren more?
What feels like a gift to you may not feel that way to them, Roberts Hughes said.
Keep the focus on serving them and partnering with them, not saving them, she said.
How does your work serve you?
What needs are being met?
Kernisan knows of a family whos in this very situation right now.
The owner of the business is concerned, and its awkward for them.
Differentiating yourself from your career after a lifetime of work can be a huge challenge, she said.
A successful career often provides people with the confidence that they belong in the world.
Fulfilled by a sense of productivity and participation, they feel theyre able to contribute to society.
Remember that your children love you and have your best interests at heart, he said.
Its up to you.
This post originally appeared onHuffPost.
