Gen X mom asks what happened to the 'American dream' as her kids struggle: 'The world has changed'

Moms are generally worried about the future of their kids. Similarly, this 51-year-old mother has expressed concern about how her kids have been struggling to get by after completing their graduation. Jessica McCabe, a retired military professional, who is a part of the Generation X crowd, shared a video on her TikTok, which gained a lot of traction. Many agreed with her points as she laid out the differences between the struggles of simply trying to survive in America in recent times compared to when she was her kids' age.

McCabe disclosed her frustrations and worries for her adult kids and how difficult it is for them to sustain themselves independently. "I am so tired of feeling helpless as a parent. Yes, my kids are grown adults. My oldest is 28, my youngest is 25," the mom explains at the beginning of her video as the text overlay at the video reads: "Where did the American dream go?" McCabe admitted that she thought teaching her kids what she had learned would be enough, but the reality is a lot harsher.

"I thought by teaching them what I learned, which is you work hard, you get a good job, you're gonna get the things in life that you need, right? It worked for me. Why wouldn't it work for them? Cause it doesn't," she states. "The world has changed, all right? And now I feel like I see them struggling, and before my generation comes at me: Yes, I understand struggling is a part of life. We all struggled. But there's a difference between struggling and drowning."

This Gen X mom is setting an example for other parents when it comes to understanding the struggles of their adult kids. McCabe believes that adults these days are "drowning" and how it used to be easy for her generation to provide for themselves independently on a "$10 per hour pay table." However, with issues like inflation and wage stagnation in America, an individual making a six figure salary can barely afford decent accommodations. McCabe even adds how one-bedroom studio apartments cost a ridiculous $2000 a month in rent.

"I told my son, all you have to do is work hard, go to college or join the military like I did," she continues in her video. "He did just that—minus the military part. After graduating college, he quickly received a job and started working." McCabe revealed that her son told her he "would move out and live on his own" after a couple of months of saving money. "But it has been 10 months. He has saved almost every diamond. Still can't afford to live," the mom shares. Her rant shines a light on the brutal reality of countless American lives today and several other TikTok users shared their similar plight.

@user032180040707 wrote: "I'm worried for my son. He's 16. I moved out and lived on my own as soon as I turned 18. There isn't any way he'll be able to." @beedubb14 commented: "My parents were making 15 an hour. They bought a house. Had 3 kids and we still had a great childhood. I make 65k a year and 1 kid and struggle so bad." @phoenixrealestate pointed out: "It is scary how quickly things became unaffordable!." 

According to a study published by Pew Research Center in 2022, in July, 52% of young adults resided with one or both of their parents, up from 47% in February. Around this time, the number was 26.6 million adults that live at home with their parents, and the number has possibly increased since then.