10 Years Ago, Aunt Sue Had No Retirement Plan. She Has 1 Today — Thanks to 2 Toddlers
An unconventional retirement story I’ve heard this year
For many of us, when we think about retirement, we think about,
- Ample cash savings,
- Investment portfolio,
- Doing what we please, when we please,
- Hanging out with friends we adore,
- Completely paid-off mortgage.
This is the conventional stuff. I hear about all these, or a subset, like clockwork.
61-year-old Aunt Sue is on a different path.
She was not actively seeking to be retired or meaningfully busy 10 years ago. She gave no thoughts about her Big R.
That is…
… Until Aunt Sue’s grandchildren were born.
If Retirement is [Supposed to be] a Solution, Then There Must Be a Problem.
For Aunt Sue, childcare was the problem.
She had 2 children — 1 son and 1 daughter — and both got married in close succession. They formed dual-income families, and employment is their priority.
The son and the daughter-in-law, the daughter and the son-in-law had to work.
Homemaking was a distant second in priority.
As the babies become toddlers, conversations like these started bubbling to the surface.
- “I wonder which one of these preschools is good…? Do they teach the spelling?”
- “What do they cover in their programs? Would our little one learn fast?”
- “Do they offer smaller classes? My baby is so shy.”
Aunt Sue sighed. This is what she said to me.
“The world has changed. I thought my daughter and daughter-in-law would quit their jobs to care for their babies. Don’t think it will happen. But no matter. I will support them no matter what their decisions may be.”
And so, Aunt Sue took time off from work to accompany her daughter and daughter-in-law to various preschools [read: pre-kindergarten].
To her shock, none of them met Aunt Sue’s standards.
“The PreSchool Teachers Have Little Experience with Babies.”
Aunt Sue might be right.
And I say ‘might be’ because I have no babies yet. I have no idea.
It was crystal clear to her.
“The preschool teacher I saw sings so well! She can also get babies to read A, B, C, 1, 2, 3. But when Stephy cried, the teacher fumbled. I had to run in.”
Yup, you guessed it.
Stephy [Stephanie] is her little precious.
And that was not the only preschool she wrote off.
“That preschool 2 buildings away? Goodness me, no way. That place is dirty. No one swept the hair on the floor. And there are no tissue boxes anywhere. I don’t trust their level of hygiene. What if Stephy gets sick?”
After multiple visits, Aunt Sue gave up.
“I will take care of them myself.”
An Unexpected Home-Based Business Took Off
It was not meant to be a business.
Aunt Sue strapped 2 koalas around her as she took them around the neighborhood. They followed her to the grocer’s, the food court, and the park.
People got curious.
They started asking her questions.
Soon, they realized that Aunt Sue resisted sending her grandchildren to preschool and her reasons for not doing so.
2 immediate neighbors asked if she could care for their children while they worked.
“They wanted to pay me, but I said no. Soon, I realized that having 4 koalas around me, feeding them, keeping them clean, bathing them, and playing with them is hard work. I started taking token sums. Baby food is expensive, you know!”
News started spreading like wildfire.
Soon, more neighbors started appearing on her doorstep.
Even Aunt Sue’s daughter was surprised by the reception of her mum’s service.
“People kept asking me to take care of their young ones. My daughter reminded me that nothing beats the feeling of home. And so, I thought… maybe that is something I can do for my retirement. It keeps me busy.”
She was [subsequently] convinced by her daughter and daughter-in-law to open a preschool for young koalas around the neighborhood.
Her offering?
- Home-cooked food,
- Safe playing environment,
- Clean and sanitized compound.
She won the hearts and minds of her neighbors. Aunt Sue’s retirement business boomed from Day 1.
And she kept it affordable.
In exchange, she asked grandparents to participate in preschool activities — To grow and groom a vegetable garden and a flower nursery.
“I wanted the young ones to learn about nature. They should be able to tell their parents the names of these flowers and fruits. And know that this is a snail, not a millipede.”
Aunt Sue was quietly ambitious. I can see that.
“I thought I would have to work until the day I die. I never knew I would have a retirement, doing things I enjoy. I stumbled into my retirement. I have my 2 precious babies to thank.”
I can tell that Aunt Sue is happy.
Like, genuinely happy.
So are her babies.
The Close
This conversation happened last weekend.
I was at my Mum’s for Chinese New Year, and Aunt Sue [Mum’s neighbor] happened to be home. I went in to give her my well wishes.
We spoke about retirement, and she shared how life has been kind to her.
And that she had a retirement plan to fall back on today.
And I wonder.
How many of us will [actually] have the kind of life encounter she had?
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Oh, oh, you can buy me a cup of black too! Thank you!