Risks for parents who have achieved FIRE

M. Pattabiraman talking about risks for parents who have achieved FIRE i.e. Financial Independence, Retire Early.

We learned work ethic by observing our parents’ struggle — watching them juggle job or housework or both, watching them stress over monthly bills, witnessing the family make sacrifices for long-term goals. These experiences, while challenging, instilled us with crucial life lessons about effort, delayed gratification, and the value of money.

Today’s FIRE parents like me present their children with a dramatically different reality. Instead of 6 AM commutes and weekend overtime, kids see parents working flexible schedules, pursuing passion projects, and taking spontaneous vacations. While this lifestyle represents the ultimate financial success, it may inadvertently communicate that money comes easily and life should be perpetually comfortable.