Adult Grandchildren ungrateful or what?

Reflect on your own behavior when you were at the stage of life raising children. Think about the time you sought your first job. Remember how life absorbed you with all the needs of growth and adjustment. Yes, I too am unhappy that my children don't pay enough attention to me. They have their own lives and we need to continue to go forward with our own lives. We send presents for birthdays and don't receive any thank you. They don't include us in their plans. Okay, try to understand. One thing we can do is give them their inheritance early. Sometimes, that can bring them closer. All the best to you.

I feel that there’s no one answer to why everything changed, more like a combination of many things, I remember in the 70’s when women were starting to join the workforce and songs like I am Woman I am strong by Helen Reddy were coming out to inspire us. Naturally the whole dynamics of family life was changing and children were not getting a stay at home mom, of course the cost of living was forever going up, this is just the tip of the iceberg, computers have a share in it too, our children were focused on a screen instead of interacting with each other, it gradually changed their personalities as well. It’s all very complex but there are many books that can clarify things better than I can, I think that if our generation is having problems with our children instilling good relationships with their children, I can only wonder how it will be for them when they reach our age.

@howardrlewis You say we should give them their inheritance early, to bring them closer? Ummm bribe them? Really?

@judyingenes No, sharing is not bribing. Helping is not bribing. I remember when my dad helped me out with a loan so I could buy a house. I paid him back at a reduced interest rate and I did that for my kids too. Some people are not in a position to have extra money. So, I am glad to be able to have this opportunity.

@howardrlewis I wasn't sure how else to interpret "One thing we can do is give them their inheritance early. Sometimes, that can bring them closer."...

I'm still waiting for my grandson't thank you for his wedding gift 3 years ago. All I got was a text.

And it's not just the grandchildren, children are the same ungrateful brats!

It is common I think and very disturbing. Growing up we were taught to always acknowledge a gift. My husband says no more gifts and I agree with him because it takes a huge bite out of our fixed income budget.

If my children or grandchildren don’t say thank you for the gift then I probably won’t be giving them anything again, it’s absolutely wrong and should never be allowed. I believe that we get more insecure with age, I know that I did and I feared being forgotten or overlooked by my loved ones, I always envied people who had a strong attitude and didn’t allow themselves to be treated like that, it all comes down to self confidence.

When we do not know the HOW -- including whom, when, but mostly WHY -- of gifting/giving then we debase ourselves, and may even harm the other.

One reason I do not play a lottery ticket (which is only a few times a year, and costs a couple dollars) is when the prize goes over one million.
Why? Because then I'll have to worry MORE about how to BEST give my money away.
In other words, giving has consequences: good And bad.
Hustling for one's feeling good as by having the receiver at least recognize your giving is to have devalued oneself even before the act of giving.

Good giving requires work -- effort to ensure it will, to the best of your sincere efforts to ensure it will do good/reduce harm to people-and-nature around us.

Even a Nobel Prize winner, the late one in physics, Richard Feynman, has said of them as only epoulettes. just flourishes, on one's shoulder. The Pursuit of knowledge is its own reward. I think he wud say: Doing the GOOD work alone is the reward, whether it is via your time, money, status, strength, health....
Yes. we say,'thank you often' many times a day, but it's just a formality -- without Really feeling grateful. And BOTH sides know it. To expect otherwise is to forget that good must be done even when it's Not recognized. That's a good rule for a good life.