When care inspires a role reversal between parents and their grown children, it can create conflict but also breed empathy. Like Freaky Friday but every day.
Story Sparks:
- Opal feels a little nervous at first, but she gets to know a new side of her mother Rickie while caring for her after a major surgery. Who knew her mother also loves Edward Gorey adult coloring books?
- When Cleo’s dad Stu moves in with them for support after a stroke, the two have to recalibrate their relationship dynamic. Now she’s the one helping him with his PT homework.
- Quilvio’s great aunt Nora helped raise him, so being a part of her care circle when she gets sick is a no-brainer. They share a joke that it’s only fair for him to help the person who potty trained him go to the toilet herself.
AVOID THE PITFALL:
Humor is a great tool for breaking through taboo topics – but keep it fresh! Base humor on real experiences instead of relying on ageist tropes like making an older adult character inept, set in their ways, or the butt of the joke. Butts are a far superior butt of the joke!
A quick note: scenarios described here are generalized from information that Caring Across Generations has collected through focus groups, polling, and other research. They are generalized scenarios and are not any one individual’s story, and they are not meant to be comprehensive of all experiences having to do with care. This resource is intended to illuminate new storytelling opportunities that also contribute to a more authentic and holistic representation of care on screen.
