6 differences between Millennial vs Boomer Parents
Many baby boomers still see millennials as the kids who are entitled and internet obsessed, and often raise an eyebrow at the family choices millennial parents make today. Today’s millennials are between the ages 26 and 41, and many make a point to raise their kids differently from their parents and grandparents. Millennial parents tend to be more laidback, value work life balance, spend more time with their kids, and focus on instilling values like empathy and curiosity. Millennials are multitaskers in all arenas of life, which explains how they have managed to juggle long work hours, life and raising children within the same 24 hours a day Boomers had.
What do Millennial parents do differently from their older Boomer generation?
1. Millennial parents are older, they get married and have kids later.
In 1980, the average age of first time mothers was 21, today it’s 26. In high-cost fast paced cities, this average age jumps to around 31-32. Couples are delaying having children until later in life, when they are more financially stable and have flexibility around work to spare time for children. Millenials are also having fewer children to ensure they are able to invest more in childrearing and education.
2. Millennials seek advice online vs turning to relatives.
Millennials grew up plugged into technology with access to a wealth of information online, and many of today’s parents share their experiences on social media with other parents. Topics around work life balance, sharing childcare duties with partners, and different birthing experiences help inspire peers to make informed decisions about family choices.
3. Millennials spend more time getting to know their kids.
Today’s working parents actually spend more time with their kids as mothers did 40 years ago, despite longer working hours, according to this Our World in Data study. Millennials have become masters of multitasking by including children in their own leisure time, such as playdates with family friends and hiking together. As such, families spend more quality time together and have more meaningful conversations about each other’s days, and many parents include their children in making family decisions.
4. Millennials value specialisation over life skills.
Parents today are choosing early specialisation as a key approach to raising exceptional kids. Why? This stems from the anxiety of parents who have witnessed ever increasing academic standards and the struggles of even top-tier university graduates in finding well paid jobs. Teams of specialists have become many elite companies’ best assets, so being a jack of all trades no longer gets you far in corporate life. Kids used to be exceptional if they spoke two languages and played an instrument or sport. Today, it’s a basic requirement if you want to get into a good school or land a decent job, and identifying your kid’s natural talents early is essential if you want them to stand out.
5. Millennial parents have more equal roles in raising their kids.
With rising living costs and plateauing wages, many mothers are joining and staying in the workforce, and parents share household and childcare duties. Millennial fathers are more likely than Boomer parents to help with laundry, cook, plan children’s activities, and take time off work to accompany children to appointments. That said, women are still bearing the brunt of childcare. With many countries yet to offer family friendly policies that allow women to have kids and advance in their career, parenting duties are likely to continue equalising.
6. Millennial parents make more decisions based on happiness and wellbeing.
Despite economic uncertainties and more financial struggles, Millennial parents are less in survival mode and more focused on personal and family happiness, wanting to be physically and mentally ready for childrearing, preferring to have fewer children, and ensuring time to bond as a family. Parents today also value retaining their own identity and fulfilment outside of raising children, leaving traditions of a total self-sacrifice for childcare. More importantly, millennial parents value having a close relationship with their children long term, thus introducing positive encouragement, rather than fear and punishment, to motivate them to succeed.
The takeaway
Parents today generally plan ahead and prioritise happiness and family over career advancement, and value quality time with children. Many Millennials have learned from their Boomer parents the importance of children’s emotional wellbeing and moving away from the ‘tough love’ approach many grew up with, but choosing to certain traditions, like eating together at the dinner table, and setting a trend of parenting the way that works best for them. Needless to say, as the Gen-Z children today grow up, they will evolve to make yet different set of choices from Millennials, influenced by their childhood experiences and the ever changing economical and social landscape.
We hope you found this helpful! If you need support, we offer 1:1 parent support sessions to help you relieve the stresses of parenting long term. Simply get in touch with us and we’ll find a time!