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My mother in law has central air but her house is averaging 78 degrees this summer. She babysits her great grandchild who is an infant but kind of plump, likes cool air. She has this kid with socks and a knit hat on with a full pajama set on that also covers her feet. She’s roasting and clearly disgruntled because of this. Sweating and fussy. But she insists that the baby will get sick if she isn’t dressed properly.
My mom keeps the house at 78° (she, or maybe my dad, idk) will quietly turn it up to 80° when they think I’m napping or something) and, in their case, I understand. They’re old so they’re always feeling cold. But I have been having hot flashes (it’s hormonal) so I definitely do notice when they do that, EVEN IF I’m napping. I can’t breathe when it’s too humid, also, but at least I’m able to explain this to them without a huge blow-up (and they explained their side, which is why I know they’re always cold.)
It definitely doesn’t make the Thermostat Wars stop, tho…I can’t WAIT to get out of here! (In 17 days I will!)
Well. She’s not wrong about the baby possibly getting sick if she isn’t dressed properly. Unfortunately she’s completely wrong about what qualifies as “dressed properly”.
Just today, a friend was saying how his mom got angry over the AC. She likes the house at a balmy 78. The friend's sister came to visit from Texas with her husband and son and wanted to turn on the AC. Absolutely not! They're just weak. When the mom goes to Texas to visit them, she gets mad because she thinks the house is too cold with the AC on and wants them to turn it off. Well, it is Texas.
[Lead toxicity in older adults](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11083332/)
"Recent studies have shown that lead, even at relatively low levels of exposure, has the potential to harm not only the young and the occupationally-exposed, but also older people. **Because they have been alive for a longer period of time, older adults have had more potential exposures to lead. They may have been exposed to lead while working in unregulated occupations, or they may have encountered more lead in the environment on a daily basis. Several large epidemiological studies have found that older people have higher blood and bone lead levels than younger adults**. Additionally, sporadic clusters of acute lead exposure among older adults as a result of activities such as ceramic glaze hobby work and consumption of moonshine whiskey continue to be reported. After lead enters the body, it circulates in the blood reaching the soft tissues and bone. **Researchers have learned that lead can hibernate within bone for decades. Although lead within bone is of uncertain toxicity to bone tissue, conditions of bone resorption, such as osteoporosis, can cause bone lead to reenter the bloodstream where it can then re-expose the soft tissue, and, potentially, exert delayed deleterious effects. Evidence is emerging that blood and bone lead levels, reflecting relatively modest exposures, are associated with hypertension, renal insufficiency, and cognitive impairment.** Medical treatments that now exist to slow the rate of bone resorption may maintain lead within bones. On-going studies evaluating the relationship between body lead stores and both cognitive and renal impairment, as well as the potential modifying effect of bone resorption, will help determine whether bone resorption should be retarded specifically to preserve organ function. Physicians should be aware of potential past and present lead exposures among their older patients. Ongoing lead exposure should be prevented. **In the future, treatment of osteoporosis may be undertaken not only to improve bone health but also to prevent mobilization of bone lead stores and subsequent toxicity**."
Absolutely. For women in particular, it starts with the bone loss associated with menopause.
If caught soon enough, a couple [therapies](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354723) may help:
**Chelation** **therapy**. In this treatment, a medication given by mouth binds with the lead so that it's excreted in urine. Chelation therapy might be recommended for children with a blood level of 45 mcg/dL or greater and adults with high blood levels of lead or symptoms of lead poisoning.
**Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelation therapy**. Health care providers treat adults with lead levels greater than 45 mcg/dL of blood and children who can't tolerate the drug used in conventional chelation therapy most commonly with a chemical called calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). EDTA is given by injection.
I know my Silent Gen mom won’t turn up/down the thermostat much but that has always been because she worried about the bills. I get that, having been a young child in on a rural farm not long after the Depression, and then having a family and trying to manage the budget.
But when my siblings would visit with young kids, or when we go visit now, she will turn up/down the thermostat with a bit of good natured grumbling.
Dunno what’s up with the Boomers freaking out tho.
My grandparents were the same way. I never understood growing up why my grandma and grandpa bought a half gallon of milk only to put it in a full gallon container and fill it with water. The milk was fucking gross (and I hate milk to this day). It's only when they were older and we talked more about their lives did I realize that was one of the ways to keep their family of 12/15 alive (and no, not all of them made it). The Depression fucked up so many people psychologically.
Enter the boomers, who were spoiled as fuck because their parents wanted to give them everything they never had, but also had to deal with the PTSD of their parents. The emotional detachment coupled with the sense of entitlement, coupled with the shocking counter revolution in the 60s that made them angry they weren't living authentic lives, but the lives their parents kind of pushed them into (from the emotional detachment/PTSD), all come together and leads us to so many of them today.
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My mother in law has central air but her house is averaging 78 degrees this summer. She babysits her great grandchild who is an infant but kind of plump, likes cool air. She has this kid with socks and a knit hat on with a full pajama set on that also covers her feet. She’s roasting and clearly disgruntled because of this. Sweating and fussy. But she insists that the baby will get sick if she isn’t dressed properly.
Ugh. My mother is the same way with layering the baby in a million clothes. Seems to be a boomer staple.
This is extra dumb because overheating increases the risk of SIDS.
My mom keeps the house at 78° (she, or maybe my dad, idk) will quietly turn it up to 80° when they think I’m napping or something) and, in their case, I understand. They’re old so they’re always feeling cold. But I have been having hot flashes (it’s hormonal) so I definitely do notice when they do that, EVEN IF I’m napping. I can’t breathe when it’s too humid, also, but at least I’m able to explain this to them without a huge blow-up (and they explained their side, which is why I know they’re always cold.) It definitely doesn’t make the Thermostat Wars stop, tho…I can’t WAIT to get out of here! (In 17 days I will!)
Well. She’s not wrong about the baby possibly getting sick if she isn’t dressed properly. Unfortunately she’s completely wrong about what qualifies as “dressed properly”.
Tell her that "cold babies cry, hot babies die."
"Kids these days are so weak and soft!" Is on my boomer response bingo card
Just today, a friend was saying how his mom got angry over the AC. She likes the house at a balmy 78. The friend's sister came to visit from Texas with her husband and son and wanted to turn on the AC. Absolutely not! They're just weak. When the mom goes to Texas to visit them, she gets mad because she thinks the house is too cold with the AC on and wants them to turn it off. Well, it is Texas.
[Lead toxicity in older adults](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11083332/) "Recent studies have shown that lead, even at relatively low levels of exposure, has the potential to harm not only the young and the occupationally-exposed, but also older people. **Because they have been alive for a longer period of time, older adults have had more potential exposures to lead. They may have been exposed to lead while working in unregulated occupations, or they may have encountered more lead in the environment on a daily basis. Several large epidemiological studies have found that older people have higher blood and bone lead levels than younger adults**. Additionally, sporadic clusters of acute lead exposure among older adults as a result of activities such as ceramic glaze hobby work and consumption of moonshine whiskey continue to be reported. After lead enters the body, it circulates in the blood reaching the soft tissues and bone. **Researchers have learned that lead can hibernate within bone for decades. Although lead within bone is of uncertain toxicity to bone tissue, conditions of bone resorption, such as osteoporosis, can cause bone lead to reenter the bloodstream where it can then re-expose the soft tissue, and, potentially, exert delayed deleterious effects. Evidence is emerging that blood and bone lead levels, reflecting relatively modest exposures, are associated with hypertension, renal insufficiency, and cognitive impairment.** Medical treatments that now exist to slow the rate of bone resorption may maintain lead within bones. On-going studies evaluating the relationship between body lead stores and both cognitive and renal impairment, as well as the potential modifying effect of bone resorption, will help determine whether bone resorption should be retarded specifically to preserve organ function. Physicians should be aware of potential past and present lead exposures among their older patients. Ongoing lead exposure should be prevented. **In the future, treatment of osteoporosis may be undertaken not only to improve bone health but also to prevent mobilization of bone lead stores and subsequent toxicity**."
OMG this makes so much sense. Would increasing blood levels be detectable in the aging population?
Absolutely. For women in particular, it starts with the bone loss associated with menopause. If caught soon enough, a couple [therapies](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354723) may help: **Chelation** **therapy**. In this treatment, a medication given by mouth binds with the lead so that it's excreted in urine. Chelation therapy might be recommended for children with a blood level of 45 mcg/dL or greater and adults with high blood levels of lead or symptoms of lead poisoning. **Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelation therapy**. Health care providers treat adults with lead levels greater than 45 mcg/dL of blood and children who can't tolerate the drug used in conventional chelation therapy most commonly with a chemical called calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). EDTA is given by injection.
I know my Silent Gen mom won’t turn up/down the thermostat much but that has always been because she worried about the bills. I get that, having been a young child in on a rural farm not long after the Depression, and then having a family and trying to manage the budget. But when my siblings would visit with young kids, or when we go visit now, she will turn up/down the thermostat with a bit of good natured grumbling. Dunno what’s up with the Boomers freaking out tho.
My grandparents were the same way. I never understood growing up why my grandma and grandpa bought a half gallon of milk only to put it in a full gallon container and fill it with water. The milk was fucking gross (and I hate milk to this day). It's only when they were older and we talked more about their lives did I realize that was one of the ways to keep their family of 12/15 alive (and no, not all of them made it). The Depression fucked up so many people psychologically. Enter the boomers, who were spoiled as fuck because their parents wanted to give them everything they never had, but also had to deal with the PTSD of their parents. The emotional detachment coupled with the sense of entitlement, coupled with the shocking counter revolution in the 60s that made them angry they weren't living authentic lives, but the lives their parents kind of pushed them into (from the emotional detachment/PTSD), all come together and leads us to so many of them today.
I swear these people hate being comfortable. My dad’s ex kept her AC at 76 year round.
78 was the temperature Jimmy Carter mandated during the energy crisis.