My kids have been grumbling that I won’t let go of my property and have been pushing for an early split to make their lives easier.
This year, I reach 70, which is the age when people expect me to relax with my grandchildren and forget about my problems. But I still have one big worry: how to split my money between my kids.
My wife and I worked hard for decades to buy a townhouse in my hometown, a 1,000-square-meter agricultural plot, and a house in the city where we live. I also think of these things as memories that will last a lifetime.
I have a daughter and two sons. They have hinted about inheritance over the years, and occasionally they grumble that I “hold on to everything” and that “leaving it later makes no difference, dividing now helps.” I understand them, but I can’t do what they want.
My three kids are mad at me for not splitting the inheritance at 70.
I don’t want to fight with my family, therefore that’s why. I’ve seen brothers and sisters fight over a few meters of land or some money. Someone can feel cheated, while someone else might feel unfairly treated. At some point, they will go from being near to being far away or even hostile. I don’t want it for my kids.
I know that no matter how I split the assets, it will be hard to make all three of them happy. Each person has their own situation, opinions, and sense of self. Someone will think they got less and fight. I just want my kids to love and support each other, not quarrel over who gets more.
That’s why I’ve decided to keep my things and pay for my own things without splitting anything up early. I have already made a clear and open will so that it can be carried out as my last request when I die. At that point, no matter what people think, they will have to respect it.
Some people could say I’m stubborn. But I don’t have the strength to hear my kids fight or blame me at this age. I hope that while I’m still alive, they will still see each other as brothers and sisters, eat together, and ask about each other instead of being jealous of each other. You can lose money, but you should never lose your familial ties.
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