Millennials who are mean.

Anonymous
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Anonymous wrote:OP clearly has a blind spot toward her own behaviors. All 3 kids? She thinks they are spoiled but takes no blame? Describes herself in positive ways and everyone else in negative ways. She’s the problem.

Boomer women didn’t work and did far, far less kid centric things than millennials do today. Their identities were tied to their husband, his work, friends and having kids. As those things have slipped away with time , they seem very empty and are forcing themselves are their adult children.

I’m GenX and see it with our boomer parents and their siblings. Not a one did anything more than a card or call on Mother’s Day for their mothers but boy do they still demand a full on celebration of them on Mother’s Day. As GenX we just ignore it or appease them but I see my millennial younger cousins being much less tolerant of the behavior.


You could not be more wrong here. You have your generations mixed up. Boomer women were the first to be in the work force fully, and they were expected to be in the work force- not a choice thing. We broke glass ceilings in the work force, established work policies for women in while in the work force, expected to take on male dominated STEM field roles with less pay, expected to manage daycare effortlessly, fought off misogynistic practices, sexual abuse and workplace harassment, and as they said over and over in ads and songs: " She brings home the bacon and fries it up in a pan."

Our identities were not tied to our spouse and women were frowned upon if they did. Many of us married later, had kids later, and we were the first generation to normalize divorce. We were the first to keep our names. We had our own accts.

I am 66. I have friends in the age group going towards 75. Some a little older. No one was a stay at home wife and mother. All socioeconomic levels, all income levels.



I would say you were the exception, not the norm. My boomer mom got married 20, had me at 23, never went to college. She did work, but only sporadically when she had to. She always had jobs, not careers.


Don't generalize your personal experience with actual history. Why your mom took a route from a previous generation has nothing to do with what was actually going on. It might be a religious or socioeconomic thing or sociological ( midwest?) ...but no getting married at 20 was definitely not a thing. Is she in her late 70s? Older boomer? Is your family name Falwell or Duggar?
This is my generation, mid 60s and I can say your mother's experience doesn't reflect the times. I was there.


No, she's mid 60s also. Must be where I was raised, because most Boomer women I know got married in their 20s and had kids in their 20s.


I would have to ask- why didn't she go to college? All these Boomer women you know, why didn't they? Why didn't they work?
I had kids in my late 20s, and all of my contemporaries finished college and graduate school by then and had kids between 25 ish to 35ish.. I worked for 35 years amongst my contemporaries, all similar experiences. Getting married at 20, staying home in the 80s would have seemed odd. Getting married at 25, but staying home due to wealth was a different story, though, and that happened. But, even they went to work when the kids were older.


If most of the women you know had college degrees and a significant percentage had graduate degrees and you're a Boomer, you come from an outlier community. Title IX took effect in 1972 and it took a while for it to take hold and change habits. Prior to Title IX, women could be kicked out of college/grad school for getting pregnant. The numbers of women in professional graduate programs other than maybe education was tiny (and back then teachers did not need graduate degrees and few got them). Even fields that today are now dominated by women, like psychology, back then were predominantly male. And the higher paying professions like law and medicine? Overwhelmingly male. The number of lawyers who were women went from 3% in 1970 to 8% in 1980 -- a huge jump and also a drop in the bucket.

The vast majority of Boomer women were encouraged to marry and have children young and lacked educational opportunities. There were a lot of Boomer women who worked, but it was out of necessity, not choice, and the jobs they worked were either "pink collar" professions like teaching or nursing, or labor that today is largely performed by low-income immigrants -- childcare and housekeeping.

If most of the Boomer women you know were educated professionals, you are unusual, which is why the way people on this thread are describing their upbringing by Boomer parents may sound foreign to you. But their story is much more common than yours.


Ridiculous. Don't talk to me about my own generation. I was certainly not an outlier. I didn't live in any bubble either. My parent's parents were immigrants who were destitute, raised kids during the depresion. My parents had a different experience than their parents. They were the women who didn't largely work, but wanted to.
In my career, I have worked with a diverse group of contemporary women, diverse ages, ethnicities, races, socioeconomic status- all over the country. I can tell you we were absolutely in the work force, full stop.


I agree that many Boomer women were trailblazers, some of the women I've worked for who've retired in the last few years with the first in their fields and had to take no sh*t.

But I have to point out the issue with your sample here. Most of us do live in social and economic bubbles to some extent; if most of the women you knew socially and in your family had college/grad level education and worked, that's representative of YOUR community. I grew up in a small rural community, and I didn't know a single kid who went to day care, because either moms didn't work, or they had local family who watched their kids. Day care just wasn't really an available resource in area in the 80s, and tons of people in my town in general hadn't gone to college, men and women alike. And i believe that in your career you've worked with very diverse women. By definition though, that excludes women who didn't work.

I wouldn't presume that women in my area represented all Boomers in their 60s either. I just don't think any of us get to be representatives of our entire generation on this based on personal experience alone.


Which is in agreement with my point. It's not a "Boomer problem " vis a vis" relationships with millennials.

I was addressing the numerous comments regarding false descriptions of Boomer women, who they were, what they did - as a sociological group. For instance, in your community description, the women didn’t go to college, didn’t have professional careers, but it wasn't because they were Boomers who didn't do that. It was sociological issue within their communityy with regard to economic status- and that exists in the same way today. These women then and now could have had they wanted to- it wasn't socially taboo or socially prohibitive as in my parent's generation. They, the Silent Generation women largely could not have, even if they went to college, which was rare, too. They couldn't do a lot of things. My point is that the Boomers weren't who many are making them out to be- married young, no or just a clerical career, and with children. That is the wrong generation.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:DP I grew up UMC in the Midwest and NOVA, expensive privates school and colleges and almost all the mothers of kids in my classes had degrees but did not work. None of the boomer extended relative women worked. Older gen X yes but not boomers.

As for the glass ceiling, boomers in particular did very little to help other women. Gen x was much better at forming groups to help women.

In fact white female boomers were big contributors toward electing republicans that have destroyed a women’s right to privacy and healthcare decisions. Boomers enjoyed those rights but once they didn’t need them themselves through everyone else under the bus.


Wrong again. Millennials and Gen X were helped A LOT by the battles Boomers faced. But it was a hard battlefield. You reaped what we sowed. White Boomers now, in religious and in the south did help elect Republicans, sadly, but not because
they don't need these things, it's about money for some, religion, and racism, sadly. Maybe it's those women who decided to remain uneducated and out of the work force- thinking everyone else is entitled, just like the white men.

Look at regions, not groups. It makes no sense! There are Hispanics of all ages in Florida, Texas, and Arizona voting Republican- railing against immigration. There are a lot of black women and men voting Republican in the South (hard to believe!) , and even LGTBQ Republicans- I will never understand this.
But we came out for 2020 and 2022 to defeat, and we will do it again. Now it's not about age, it's far more complicated. I will say the younger generations better shore it up for 2024. Agree with that.
Anonymous
Not surprised to see boomers crow about how amazing and special they are lol!
Anonymous
OP, I'm a millennial with Boomer parents. Your kids' behavior sounds weird and rude.

My only tension with my parents is that my mother spoils my child (beyond normal grandma standards) and her behavior is crappy after my mom babysits, but we rely on her to babysit regularly so I can't really say anything. My mother is also, while a good person overall, incredibly passive-aggressive and I've only opened my eyes to it in recent years.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DP I grew up UMC in the Midwest and NOVA, expensive privates school and colleges and almost all the mothers of kids in my classes had degrees but did not work. None of the boomer extended relative women worked. Older gen X yes but not boomers.

As for the glass ceiling, boomers in particular did very little to help other women. Gen x was much better at forming groups to help women.

In fact white female boomers were big contributors toward electing republicans that have destroyed a women’s right to privacy and healthcare decisions. Boomers enjoyed those rights but once they didn’t need them themselves through everyone else under the bus.


Wrong again. Millennials and Gen X were helped A LOT by the battles Boomers faced. But it was a hard battlefield. You reaped what we sowed. White Boomers now, in religious and in the south did help elect Republicans, sadly, but not because
they don't need these things, it's about money for some, religion, and racism, sadly. Maybe it's those women who decided to remain uneducated and out of the work force- thinking everyone else is entitled, just like the white men.

Look at regions, not groups. It makes no sense! There are Hispanics of all ages in Florida, Texas, and Arizona voting Republican- railing against immigration. There are a lot of black women and men voting Republican in the South (hard to believe!) , and even LGTBQ Republicans- I will never understand this.
But we came out for 2020 and 2022 to defeat, and we will do it again. Now it's not about age, it's far more complicated. I will say the younger generations better shore it up for 2024. Agree with that.


Stop equating a handful of rogue POC and LGBT republicans with the majority of white Boomer women being republicans
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see boomers crow about how amazing and special they are lol!


No kidding. Reminds me so much of my mom who thinks she’s soooooo amazing and special and never has a kind word to say about anyone else.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see boomers crow about how amazing and special they are lol!


No kidding. Reminds me so much of my mom who thinks she’s soooooo amazing and special and never has a kind word to say about anyone else.
We are not your Mom. Grow up.

Also, Boomer Moms are amazing. Sorry- but we are.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see boomers crow about how amazing and special they are lol!


No kidding. Reminds me so much of my mom who thinks she’s soooooo amazing and special and never has a kind word to say about anyone else.
We are not your Mom. Grow up.

Also, Boomer Moms are amazing. Sorry- but we are.


From the comments on this thread, it seems like many disagree with that statement.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see boomers crow about how amazing and special they are lol!


No kidding. Reminds me so much of my mom who thinks she’s soooooo amazing and special and never has a kind word to say about anyone else.
We are not your Mom. Grow up.

Also, Boomer Moms are amazing. Sorry- but we are.


From the comments on this thread, it seems like many disagree with that statement.


Lol, just jealous. We did career, motherhood, friendships without Zoloft.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see boomers crow about how amazing and special they are lol!


No kidding. Reminds me so much of my mom who thinks she’s soooooo amazing and special and never has a kind word to say about anyone else.
We are not your Mom. Grow up.

Also, Boomer Moms are amazing. Sorry- but we are.


So your problem is not with people generalizing, it's that you think the generalization should be "Boomer moms are amazing."

My Boomer mom is not amazing. I'm not going to generalize to an entire generation. I have peers who had Boomer parents who were great -- in some cases I'm so glad to have had their parents in my life to help me learn what a functional family looked like. But I don't assume my family is the norm or that those families are the norm -- there's a ton of variety.

I will say that the dysfunction in my family follows a pattern I've discovered also exists in many other families with Boomer parents and Millennial kids. My grandparents were abusive alcoholics who were likely traumatized by depression and war and treated my parents really badly. My parents then had kids young and, having no positive role models for parenting and really limited resources for addressing their own trauma and mental health, did a pretty poor job raising their kids. There's definitely now tension and division in my family because my siblings and I have had to spend our adulthood addressing the fall out from physical abuse and emotional neglect we experienced as kids. I could see my mom writing a post similar to OPs.

If your experience is different, good for you. But don't assume you represent the norm and everyone else is an outlier. Also, your almost militant insistence that you are emblematic of all Boomer women does actually speak to a level of self-involvement and refusal to acknowledge that you might be incorrect that others in the thread are also assigning to their Boomer parents.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see boomers crow about how amazing and special they are lol!


No kidding. Reminds me so much of my mom who thinks she’s soooooo amazing and special and never has a kind word to say about anyone else.
We are not your Mom. Grow up.

Also, Boomer Moms are amazing. Sorry- but we are.


From the comments on this thread, it seems like many disagree with that statement.


Lol, just jealous. We did career, motherhood, friendships without Zoloft.


And look how that turned out.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see boomers crow about how amazing and special they are lol!


No kidding. Reminds me so much of my mom who thinks she’s soooooo amazing and special and never has a kind word to say about anyone else.
We are not your Mom. Grow up.

Also, Boomer Moms are amazing. Sorry- but we are.


So your problem is not with people generalizing, it's that you think the generalization should be "Boomer moms are amazing."

My Boomer mom is not amazing. I'm not going to generalize to an entire generation. I have peers who had Boomer parents who were great -- in some cases I'm so glad to have had their parents in my life to help me learn what a functional family looked like. But I don't assume my family is the norm or that those families are the norm -- there's a ton of variety.

I will say that the dysfunction in my family follows a pattern I've discovered also exists in many other families with Boomer parents and Millennial kids. My grandparents were abusive alcoholics who were likely traumatized by depression and war and treated my parents really badly. My parents then had kids young and, having no positive role models for parenting and really limited resources for addressing their own trauma and mental health, did a pretty poor job raising their kids. There's definitely now tension and division in my family because my siblings and I have had to spend our adulthood addressing the fall out from physical abuse and emotional neglect we experienced as kids. I could see my mom writing a post similar to OPs.

If your experience is different, good for you. But don't assume you represent the norm and everyone else is an outlier. Also, your almost militant insistence that you are emblematic of all Boomer women does actually speak to a level of self-involvement and refusal to acknowledge that you might be incorrect that others in the thread are also assigning to their Boomer parents.


Why doesn't this concept of yours work in reverse - the idea of not generalizing. There was no alcoholism in my family, there was in yours. Why is there a generational blame for something that has to do with something else? My grandparents lived through, with children, the 1918 pandemic, tuberculosis, the Depression, WW2, all after being refugee immigrants- soeaking no English. My parents grew up in poverty. They went to school, college, professional school and careers. The women weren’t allowed to achieve career wise, but they encouraged the next generation of women. They kept looking ahead not backwards.
We didn't have the alcohol or the personality issues, but somehow my entire generation is your problem? Why? This is kind of the millennial cry-it's everyone else's fault. Look at specific issues, not generational blame.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see boomers crow about how amazing and special they are lol!


No kidding. Reminds me so much of my mom who thinks she’s soooooo amazing and special and never has a kind word to say about anyone else.
We are not your Mom. Grow up.

Also, Boomer Moms are amazing. Sorry- but we are.


From the comments on this thread, it seems like many disagree with that statement.


Lol, just jealous. We did career, motherhood, friendships without Zoloft.


And look how that turned out.


Quite well, actually!
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see boomers crow about how amazing and special they are lol!


No kidding. Reminds me so much of my mom who thinks she’s soooooo amazing and special and never has a kind word to say about anyone else.
We are not your Mom. Grow up.

Also, Boomer Moms are amazing. Sorry- but we are.


From the comments on this thread, it seems like many disagree with that statement.


Lol, just jealous. We did career, motherhood, friendships without Zoloft.


And look how that turned out.


You were raised, not by just your own parents, but by a generation of ideals. There were so many things that impacted this generation's sensibilities, even accepting adulthood (adolescence has been extended quite long). There's the whole trophy trope, addictive video gaming as leisure, the sudden increase of violence in entertainment, the tech era, multiple and ubiquitous forms of advertising, latch key kids, the rise in ADD diagnoses and certainly medication...the list goes on. You can look at Boomers in a generational sense as the first to live in post war growing affluence and its impact on the children with the above, but you also need to understand that if you do that you have to also address what Boomer women did for you in the workplace, for sexual freedom and reproductive choice, for relationships, for their role in politics. You can't cherry pick because you are mad at your Mom. I mean it's still about accepting responsibility for yourself, and what message you are sending the next generation. Let's learn to cope.
Anonymous
So, Millennials, maybe it was all the things you might hold dear now, that ruined your childhood. Maybe it was the divorce(s), your mother working, non matrimonial relationships, achievement benchmarks, career ladders,the beginning of LGBTQ acceptance...as you say- the women before you ruined your lives. Well, I guess get back in the kitchen, the closet, and get your kids back from daycare because you won't need that anymore, and there will be a LOT of kids, because abortion is reversing, contraception is next. Drop out of grad school, do all things- backwards, because clearly boomers Moms left you a bad legacy.

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