My theory - GenX vs Millennial parents

[Anonymous]

I'm an older X that had kids late. So, most of my peers have kids that are older than ours, but I saw them parenting before I had kids. Most of the parents of my children's peers are millennials and I see them when our kids get together.

I have seen both types (relaxed vs helicopter) parents from every generation. I think the generalizations are stereotypes and you can't really stereotype based on age or generation.

[Anonymous]

OP you completely invalidated your own opinion when you admitted you are on a facebook page about school. I thought only boomers and attention seeking women are on facebook

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an older X that had kids late. So, most of my peers have kids that are older than ours, but I saw them parenting before I had kids. Most of the parents of my children's peers are millennials and I see them when our kids get together.

I have seen both types (relaxed vs helicopter) parents from every generation. I think the generalizations are stereotypes and you can't really stereotype based on age or generation.

I agree with this though I do find myself rolling my eyes at the helicopters. That said, kids need personalized parenting and I'm a hypocrite. The relaxed style I had for the first kid is not working on the second.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an older X that had kids late. So, most of my peers have kids that are older than ours, but I saw them parenting before I had kids. Most of the parents of my children's peers are millennials and I see them when our kids get together.

I have seen both types (relaxed vs helicopter) parents from every generation. I think the generalizations are stereotypes and you can't really stereotype based on age or generation.

I agree with this though I do find myself rolling my eyes at the helicopters. That said, kids need personalized parenting and I'm a hypocrite. The relaxed style I had for the first kid is not working on the second.

And this is one of the reasons why I say you can't generalize by the parents age. You are not the only ones that had to change parenting style based on having two distinctly different kids. I also know parents who divorced and remarried and the dynamics of the second marriage are different from the first. I find that parents who had children younger tend to be more similar than parents of the same ages. So X and Y parents who had kids young are more likely to be similar and X and Y parents who had kids when older are more likely to be similar. Lots of factors that are much more important than how old the parents are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at a college parent facebook page for a true read on the helicopter parents.

+1 I work with a Gen X parent whose kids are all in college and she regularly tracks their locations on their phones! And then she'll text them to say something about where they are! Like, let your kid live their life, Big Brother!

Oh I hate when people track their college-aged kids. I find it completely invasive.

The weirdest thing to me is how her kids are completely unfazed by it. She'll see that one of them is near the other one (they go to the same school) and call one of them to be like, "Hey, your brother is next door. Can you go ask him something for me?" and they DO IT. She takes all her calls on speakerphone with her office door open, so I can hear the way her kids respond and it's as if the whole interaction is totally normal, instead of absolutely nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at a college parent facebook page for a true read on the helicopter parents.

+1. Try University of MD for some laughs. JFC it is a shitshow. These parents are mostly genx with some younger boomers thrown in the mix.

Can you share examples pls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at a college parent facebook page for a true read on the helicopter parents.

+1 I work with a Gen X parent whose kids are all in college and she regularly tracks their locations on their phones! And then she'll text them to say something about where they are! Like, let your kid live their life, Big Brother!

Oh I hate when people track their college-aged kids. I find it completely invasive.

The weirdest thing to me is how her kids are completely unfazed by it. She'll see that one of them is near the other one (they go to the same school) and call one of them to be like, "Hey, your brother is next door. Can you go ask him something for me?" and they DO IT. She takes all her calls on speakerphone with her office door open, so I can hear the way her kids respond and it's as if the whole interaction is totally normal, instead of absolutely nuts.

Years of behavior like this has made it normal for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Millennial here. We all sort of think Gen X was the worst generation. So, maybe we just don’t want to be anything like you?

Oh, I thought you hated boomers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Millennial here. We all sort of think Gen X was the worst generation. So, maybe we just don’t want to be anything like you?

Right, we stole all your money, LOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Millennial here. We all sort of think Gen X was the worst generation. So, maybe we just don’t want to be anything like you?

I think boomers are the worst but X’ers have this insanely annoying need to be special / unique / laid back / not like other people and it’s so obnoxious

Wait what? So now we're supposed to conform and all be the same? Is that why you have the same haircut (long, blonde, balayage waves) and have the same bag (that Athleta fanny pack that you oddly wear like a cross body)? Ooooooooh, this explains so much.

[Anonymous]

Hey at least we aren’t raising a generation of future adults named Kinsleigh and Brayden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You over estimate your influence vs peer influence. They will all be fine.

Most studies show that family has a much larger long-term impact on behavior than peer group. Peers will have an immediate, short term impact on people but in the long run, family environment will be much more productive of choices and outcomes.

[Anonymous]

I'm a young Xer and I find these observations inaccurate. I know helicopter-y parents who are Gen X. In particular thinking of some very crunchy parents I know who obsess over stuff like sugar content in fruit (for their middle schoolers) or some very type-A, competitive parents who are very intense about their kids' academic and athletic performance. Also know millennial parents like this. It's a mix.

Agree that the first versus second kid thing is a bigger predictor, as well as number of kids. I have an only and know lots of people with onlies and we skew helicopter-y when compared to families with more kids because their attention is by necessity more divided. I probably bably spend less time parenting and worrying about my kid than my friend with 3 kids, but also probably seem less laid back about parenting than she is. It's a perspective issue.

Your kid dictates a lot too. I was more laid back when my kid was younger, but my kid started having some behavioral issues in school last year that really took us by surprise, so now I read a lot of parenting books and have become more hands on, because we need to figure this out. You can be laid back when your kids are doing great. If you stay laid back when they struggle, you're just a bad parent, it can't be explained by generation

[Anonymous]

I'm Gen X (1970) and dropped off my kid for college on Friday and I didn't even know there was an FB page! I have no desire to track my kid in anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm Gen X (1970) and dropped off my kid for college on Friday and I didn't even know there was an FB page! I have no desire to track my kid in anyway.

I’m guessing boy.