Why do my parents keep saying I just don't get how hard they worked?

Founders default to the kids these days narrative because it shifts the conversation away from their own fear about the transition. The real worry is usually about whether the next generation can actually handle the wealth and the responsibility. Blaming the next gen for being entitled or soft is a protective story founders tell themselves and each other. In The Dysfunctional Family Office, Brett the longtime CFO voices it plainly when the Mitchell family meeting blows up. Kids these days will never get it. Kris Kluver shows the story is rarely accurate. Heirs are often deeply engaged, just in newer ways than their parents. The narrative protects the founder from harder questions about their own preparation.