My parents think bonds are safer than stocks for retirement... should I challenge that?

I was talking with my parents the other day about their retirement accounts, and they insisted that sticking to bonds is the only “safe” way to go. They’ve been investing this way for decades and have seen some scary market drops in the past, so I get their caution.

Personally, I have a moderate risk tolerance and believe a diversified stock ETF could actually protect against inflation better than a heavy bond allocation over the long term. With current macro trends rising inflation, geopolitical uncertainty, and low yields on bonds it feels like bonds might not be the safest bet anymore, ironically.

I’d love to hear from the community: How do you balance respecting family’s conservative instincts while also considering the long-term realities of the market? Has anyone successfully convinced a relative to take a slightly higher risk, and how did you approach it?