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We Can Do Hard Things · September 17, 2026 · 59m

(BEST OF) The Panini Generation: Caretaking Without Losing Yourself with Ai-jen Poo

Ai-jen Poo

Ai-jen Poo, a leading advocate for caregivers, joins to discuss the widespread burnout among those caring for children, aging parents, and partners. She reframes the 'sandwich generation' as the 'panini generation'—pressed from all sides. Poo emphasizes that caregiving was never meant to be a solo burden and offers practical advice on building a 'care squad' for support. The conversation highlights why care is foundational to society and how we can sustain ourselves while caring for loved ones.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Curious

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The Care Squad: Building a Network to Sustain Caregiving
Poo advocates for creating a 'care squad'—a deliberate network of family, friends, and community members who share caregiving responsibilities to prevent burnout.
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Highlights

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Caregiver Burnout Is a Structural Problem, Not Individual Failure
Ai-jen Poo explains that the exhaustion caregivers feel is not a sign of personal inadequacy but a result of a society that expects care to be done privately and without support.
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The 'Panini Generation': Pressed from All Sides
Poo reframes the caregiving squeeze often called the 'sandwich generation' as the 'panini generation'—pressed from all directions, not just above and below.
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Care Is the Invisible Work That Makes Everything Else Possible
Poo argues that care labor—raising children, supporting aging relatives, maintaining households—is the foundation upon which all other economic and social activity rests, yet it remains largely invisible and undervalued.
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References

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The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America — Ai-jen Poo — about caregiving and aging

Misc

✧Reintroduces the 'sandwich generation' as the 'panini generation'—pressed from all sides caring for kids and aging parents.
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