The Sandwich Generation: Caught in the Middle, Holding It All Together

The sandwich generation is here to stay. A whole generation of people, juggling the demands of aging parents and also raising children. They’re the glue holding generations of families together, trying to manage it all, keeping lots of balls in the air - none of which can be dropped.

 All while trying to progress a career, stay fit & healthy, run a home and maintain some sort of a social life that doesn’t just involve indoor play centres.

 It’s a tough act - one done with lots of love and fun but also a responsibility, which can make it seem like an impossible balancing act.

The Relentless Juggle

Mornings start early, with school lunches to prepare, homework to check, and a household to organise. Before you’ve even grabbed your morning coffee, your phone starts pinging with everyone wanting a piece of you! It’s a constant mental tally - who needs what, when, and how on earth you’re going to fit it all in.

Balancing work on top of these responsibilities adds another layer of stress. Trying to focus on career growth, meet deadlines, and maintain professional relationships while also ensuring your family is cared for, can feel really overwhelming. Many women  find themselves sacrificing career progression, turning down promotions, or reducing their hours just to make it all work. 

Workplace flexibility is critical to women returning to the workforce (Dads as well), but not always available, leaving many feeling overwhelmed and overstretched.

The Emotional Toll

Beyond the sheer logistics, there’s an emotional weight to being in the middle. You’re the comforter, the problem solver, the decision-maker. You feel pulled in two directions, wanting to be fully present for both your children and your parents, yet often feeling as though you’re not doing enough for either. Guilt creeps in - should you be spending more time with your kids, making more memories while they’re still young? Be home more often to read them a bedtime story? Or should you be at your parents’ side more often, cherishing the time you have with them? 

And then there’s the nagging worry - are you neglecting your career and jeopardising future promotions when you need to work from home for the day, as your little person is sick (again!).

On a personal note, the juggle is one that Anna Ball, from Brand HQ knows only too well.

When her Mum became unwell in 2023, it was very evident how far Devon UK, is from Australia. Living 16,000km away, meant Anna has had to make multiple dashes across the world to be close to her Mum. Grateful for the support of her husband & her teens behaving themselves in her absence, Anna spoke about being incredibly thankful that running her own business allowed the flexibility to be there when it mattered most. Thankfully doing well now, Anna’s Mum is in remission but Anna knows that she has the work flexibility to pick up the phone to chat to her family at any stage, or jump on a plane if need be.

Finding Solutions

Whilst every family faces different challenges, a growing movement is emerging, of women who want and need to change how they work, live and play. Many of us get to the stage where we’re burnt out and frankly exhausted, living in fight or flight mode every day. Or sick of office politics and wanting to find another way to earn money and do something we love.

Finding solutions is far from easy - do you reduce your hours? Change jobs? Take a demotion so you don’t have to manage a team? Or do you step out and make real change? 

The trick is to find the headspace to think about what YOU really want to do - be selfish for just a moment and dream up your ideal job or life. One which will allow you to earn income, better balance competing priorities of family and career. One which will allow you to be inspired to grow and still earn good money. One which will have you bouncing out of bed every morning and still be there to go to the school sports day. 

Then take action. One small step every day, to turn your idea into a reality. It’s not easy, but it’s also not impossible. Think where you could be in a year - still busy but with a little more breathing space to manage the juggle. How great would that be?

Visit Brand HQ to get started.