The Sandwich Generation: 3 Ways to Prepare to Care for Aging Parents While Raising Kids, with Scott Parrish of Visiting Angels

I thought "the Sandwich Generation" meant being so busy caring for your kids and your aging parents that sandwiches were the only meal you had time to make. Turns out, I was wrong!

In this mini episode of Teaching Your Toddler, I talk with **Scott Parrish, President of the Visiting Angels National Franchise Organization**, about what the Sandwich Generation really is and how moms of young children can prepare to care for an aging parent *before* it becomes an emergency.

**What is the Sandwich Generation?**

The Sandwich Generation is adults who are "sandwiched" between caring for aging parents or senior loved ones and raising children at home. According to AARP's *Caregiving in the US 2025* report, 63 million Americans are now family caregivers, a 45% increase in a decade. Among caregivers 50 and under, about half are also caring for kids at home.

**Why it feels so hard**

In a new Visiting Angels survey, 62% of caregivers said caregiving started as a *sudden* need. Many said they didn't feel prepared financially, mentally or emotionally, and that caregiving pulled time away from their own kids, friends, hobbies and mental health.

**Scott's 3 steps to prepare for caring for an aging parent**

1. **Start the conversation early.** Ask your loved ones about their wishes: Do they want to stay in their own home? Are they open to other options? What support do they think they'll need?

2. **Know your resources.** Research local help *before* you need it. Many caregivers in the survey wished they had.

3. **Create a plan for the whole family.** Divide the responsibilities and make it a team effort. Asking for help is not failure, and you will probably need it.

**In this episode:**

- (01:15) Welcome, Scott Parrish of Visiting Angels