Navigating the demands of parenting adolescents and caring for ageing parents
Does this scenario sound familiar? Your kids are growing up, and you started to find you had some free time on your hands due to their newfound independence? How quickly that free time turned into looking after the new needs of your parents. They are ageing and are losing some of their independence, not by choice, but by biology. They now need you to start to look after them. But you can’t forget your teenagers though, that newfound independence still needs some support. They need you, but they don’t want to say it. Pretty quickly, you start to become overwhelmed with emotions and responsibilities. Welcome to the sandwich generation.
The sandwich generation refers to adults who are providing intergenerational care to their ageing parents and their own families. Due to societal factors present in Brisbane, the sandwich can start as early for adults in their thirties or as late as in their sixties. It is estimated that 1.5 million Australians belong to the sandwich generation. Don’t lose hope though, counselling can help.
Sometimes, in this season, you might find you experience depression, panic attacks, anxiety, high levels of stress or intense feelings of loneliness. You might experience some of the symptoms of burnout including emotional exhaustion, sleep issues and fatigue. There could be a growing sense of guilt and shame. Counselling can equip you with strategies that lessen the intensity of these experiences. As a counsellor, I am keen to empower you to not just survive but to thrive in this life transition.
Times of transitions present new challenges. The caring responsibilities for ageing parents include providing companionship, emotional support, transportation and financial support. The caring responsibilities for adolescents also include transportation and emotional support, but let’s add setting clear boundaries, maintaining open communication and encouraging positive decision making to the list.
Sometimes, caregiver responsibilities can impact your professional career. You might need to reduce hours, pass up promotions or miss out on professional development opportunities. Your financial situation might change from comfortable living to tighter budgeting plans.
By adding counselling to your support network, you are setting yourself up in the best possible way for good mental health and overall positive wellbeing. Some counselling goals might focus on managing stress, maximising time effectively, growing your social supports, prioritising self-care, finding joy in the small things, or decreasing the grip of guilt and shame. I can also offer my counselling room as a space where you can just breathe. We could practice mindfulness techniques together or you could use talk therapy to process the changes. We could use art to explore the emotional rollercoaster of parenting. Or focus on self-care activities that actually works for you. Not everyone shares my love of cats, and that is ok, we can find what is meaningful to you and brings you peace.
To make an appointment with Cassia, you can Book Online. Alternatively, you can call Vision Psychology Brisbane on (07) 3088 5422.
References
Anthony, A. (2024). Guilt, worry, resentment: how the ‘club sandwich’ generation juggles caring for parents, children and grandparents. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/13/guilt-worry-resentment-its-all-part-of-the-sandwich-generation
Australian Government: Australian Institute of Family Studies. (2006). Young people and their parents: supporting families through changes that occur in adolescence. https://aifs.gov.au/resources/practice-guides/young-people-and-their-parents-supporting-families-through-changes-occur
Australian Government: National Mental Health Commission. (2023). Parenting and caring. Career Transition Series. https://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-10/career-transition-guides—paper-4-parenting-caring.pdf
Australian Seniors. (2025). The Australian seniors series: sandwich generation report 2025. https://www.seniors.com.au/news-insights/the-australian-seniors-series-sandwich-generation-report-2025
Baptcare. (2025). The sandwich generation phenomenon. https://www.baptcare.org.au/news/sandwich-generation-phenomenon/
Leggett, A. N., Lei, L., & Maust, D. T. (2022). A national profile of sandwich generation caregivers providing car to both older adults and children. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 71(3). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.18138