In Part 1 of this post, I listed some common stereotypes about the past several generations, specifically about their parenting styles and the effects those styles are supposed to have had on their kids.
Again, I’m interested in the perceived stereotypes about these generational parenting styles, and how they’re understood in popular culture. Not whether they are true, or how true they are.
So, looking back in 10 or 20 years, what will people say about Millennials as parents? How will we have succeeded, how will we have erred, and will popular opinion trace those errors back to some over-correction against our parents? What about the next two generations after us?
My predictions.
Millennials: Popular culture and think pieces will inform Millennials (my generation) that all the independence and adversity have been sanitized out of childhood. This trend had already begun when we were growing up, but when we look at Gen Z, we see that it has not yet crescendoed. We will be somewhat unique in that we react more to the generation behind us than to our parents. We will worry about a lack of grit in our kids, set out to reintroduce independence and adversity to our their lives.
The pendulum is already moving back this way. But, Millennials will tend to take it too far. We will do weird stuff, like try to send our kids to sleep away Navy Seal Camp, or sign them up for music lessons with this guy:
Trying to manufacture opportunities for struggle and perseverance will have unintended consequences. Sometimes the experiences themselves will backfire in unexpected ways. Other times, our kids will see through our game and just not play. They will be more savvy than we expect, because they will be cynical-internet-natives; unlike us, they will have their guard up against social media that attempts to steal their attention and self-esteem. They will figure out a healthy balance between online and real life.
Gen Z: Will prioritize self-actualization and spiritual health in their kids, who will grow up to over-correct toward fostering ambition and material success.
Gen Alpha: Will scoff at their Millennial parents’ and Boomer grandparents’ machinations toward concocting a “healthy” childhood. Without knowing it, they will adopt their great grandparents’ attitudes. They will tell their kids to get out of the house after breakfast and be home before dark. They will assume what doesn’t kill the kids makes them stronger, but won’t conspire to put that assumption to the test. They will let kids be kids.
… Except, of course, all this will be supervised, encouraged, and kept safe for the kids by their AI playmates and tutors!
Put your own predictions in the comments. To summarize:
| Generation Name | Caricature of Parenting Style | Caricature of Resulting Kids |
|---|---|---|
| The Greatest Generation | Authoritative, emotionally distant | Baby Boomers: High achieving, competitive |
| The Silent Generation | Parenting for conformity and social norms | Generation X: Independent, skeptical, ‘slacker culture’ |
| Baby Boomers | Nurturing self-esteem, ‘everyone is special’ | Millennials: High expectations, entitlement |
| Generation X | Helicopter Parents | Gen Z: Authentic, but sometimes fragile |
| Millennials | Back to letting kids fail and learn, but maybe in weird ways? | Gen Alpha: Strange balance of optimism and cynicism. |
| Gen Z | Peak emotional actualization, minimal focus on ambition. | Gen Beta(?): “Cool, I feel good about myself, but now how do I make a bag?” |
| Gen Alpha | Let kids be kids, but with AI. | Who knows? |
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