You say you don’t think that they’d understand. How do you know? It sounds like you haven’t really spoken to them about it. Perhaps you are the one who doesn’t understand their point of view. Understanding and communication must be a two way street. If you want to be understood, seek first to understand (thanks Stephen Covey!).
On a side note, depending on what type of investments you have, I’d hold off trying to live off of them. If you have thirty rental properties that are generating you a monthly cash flow, then, by all means, use it. If, however, you were given a bunch of paper assets that you’d have to cash in, I’d let those sit, or in some way turn them into an income stream. Investments shouldn’t disappear for food and rent.