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Someday, Kids, None of This Will Be Yours

My children will never be nepo babies

Jason McBride

All illustrations by Jason McBride

As we drove home from school, my youngest was chatting in a stream of non-sequiturs the way only thirteen-year-olds can when she announced that she wished she could be a nepo baby. I laughed, and she quickly added, “Don’t worry, Dad, you still have time. I believe in you.”

I laughed again because, with middle schoolers, it’s hard to tell the difference between sarcasm and earnestness.

I told my daughter that the only way she would ever be a nepo baby was if she decided to go into haiku comics, and then I could help her grow an audience of dozens with almost no effort. But her train of thought had already moved onto the mysteries of pop-star lyrics.

Haiku comic by Jason McBride

My train of thought remained stubbornly on the nepo baby track. When I was a young man, magazines and newspapers would frequently run articles about how much money we Gen-Xers would inherit when our boomer parents finally passed on.

Over time, as newspapers died and magazines became a mockery of their former glory, online stories began discussing how the Great Wealth Transfer was skipping Gen-X.

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Jason McBride
Jason McBride

Responses (33)

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I may not have any money to send them to college or help them buy a house, but each child knows how to stand in awe of the sunset and how to offer a helping hand to someone in trouble.

I feel like my father is similar at times. While not the best person at home, I do see moments of beauty, of a real soul in his heart at time.

I understand some of his worst qualities come from feelings of not providing adequately for out family…

53

Thanks for sharing this. Knowing how to work hard and also understanding that kindness matters more than money 💝. I love this ❤️

28

Yeah, thanks for sharing your story! Hang in there! You've got kids, and you're doing okay financially, so that's the most important thing! We all need each other, and my kids need everyone such as your kids to help each other out in the future, and…

31