16 Parenting Mistakes Millennials Will Never Make
Looking back at how kids were raised decades ago, it’s hard not to think, How did we survive?! From wild car rides with no seatbelts to running free in the neighborhood with zero supervision, parenting back then was a lot more laid back. While we all managed to make it through our adventerous childhoods, today’s parents are rewriting the book and learning from those old-school mistakes. Just look at these parenting errors that millennials are determined to avoid and you will see how modern parents are making sure today’s kids grow up a little bit safer and hopefully happier!
No Risky Hand-Me-Downs
Not all hand-me-downs are made equal. If you are old enough to remember it, parents used to hand other parents decades-old toys, cribs, and car seats as a gift. This is no longer done because most of the stuff of yesteryear have been declared unsafe.
There are so many recalls of toys and car seats that it’s often best to avoid using them as hand-me-downs. Stick to clothes, please!
No Single Track To Success
If you grew up as a Millennial, you had parents who really drilled it into you that college was the only way to succeed. College was not a “maybe” but a must. This all backfired when crippling student loans and an excess of college degrees hit the job market. Millennials are quick to point out that college is one of many ways to succeed when talking to their kids. This is a great thing.
No Spanking
Spanking has fallen out of favor for the past couple of decades, with fewer families than ever before saying they’ve ever spanked their child. Gentle parenting and simple coaching have become the new way to do things. That’s great since spanking is often linked with abuse.
Less Negative Religion
Religion has been on the general decline in America for decades. While many families find solace and strength through religion, not all do. Parents who suffer from spiritual abuse or are worried about authoritarian parenting are increasingly unwilling to add religion to any part of their parenting style.
More Tolerance
It’s no secret that tolerance and equality have become hot buzzwords among most Millennials. It’s the generation that saw the passage of gay marriage as well as the discourse over trans rights. Unsurprisingly, many Millennials are making a point of going the extra mile to teach their kids tolerance.
Less Fast Food
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that fast-food joints aren’t as popular as they once were. This is doubly true with parents and children. Without playplaces, kids aren’t going to have fun. Considering the unhealthy stigma surrounding fast food, it’s not surprising that parents try to avoid a trip to the local burger joint whenever they can.
More Freedom
Millennials and other older generations rarely got to do their own thing. Millennials, in particular, tended to have very structured lifestyles as children. Perhaps that’s why many Millennial parents are encouraging kids to do what they want to do in all aspects of life. They want to empower their kids through greater autonomy.
More On Mental Health
Here’s a wild change. Almost all Millennials talk to their kids about mental health, with 98 percent of them saying they’ve had a discussion about it. When Millennials were kids, only 1 out of every 3 kids heard their parents talk about mental health. It looks like this upcoming generation is definitely going to be more aware of their well-being!
Less Authoritarian
Many Millennials grew up in strict, authoritarian homes. This was the type of home where parents would yell, punish, and “bootcamp” their kids. Millennials are increasingly turning away from authoritarian parenting because of the damage authoritarianism did to them. Some overcorrect with permissive parenting, while others consciously work toward gentle parenting.
Avoiding Overprotective Behavior
This is a bit of a point of contention. It’s no secret that Millennials were some of the first kids to endure “helicopter parenting.” Many Millennials who survived that parenting style now make a conscious effort to avoid doing that to their own children. With that said, a decent portion of Millennial parents openly admit they can be overprotective.
No Chosen Careers
Most Millennials know at least one kid whose parent basically chose their life path for them. This is a terrible habit to have as a parent since it doesn’t allow young adults to choose a path they enjoy. Millennial adults who experienced that often felt resentful. Thankfully, they’re avoiding that mistake with their own kids.
More Apologies
Most parents prior to the Millennial generation didn’t really apologize to their kids, even when their behavior was clearly out of line. Millennials are changing that, big time. Part of the Millennial vibe is learning how to say you’re sorry, even when you’re the one in charge.
More Talks About Emotions
Many millennials grew up listening to illogical and harmful sentences, such as ‘Men don’t cry.’ This generation was discouraged from showing emotions, particularly if these were considered negative. Luckily, nowadays, parents know the importance of acknowledging and accepting emotions. A good cry can be extremely therapeutic.
No Inconsistency
It was not uncommon for parents to be inconsistent in the past. When your father gave you a ‘no’ as an answer, you could always try your luck with your mother. Nowadays, parents try their best to always be aligned and work as a team rather than as two separate entities. This is crucial for the well-being of their children as they will be given a single path to follow instead of creating confusion between right and wrong.
Screen Time Limits
Parents of the past thought nothing of putting their child in front of a TV for hours on end. TV and video games are fun and exciting so why not let the children play? Parents of today know better. Study after study has shown that screen time is bad for a child development. It may hinder their ability to learn and express emotion. That is why millennial parents tend to limit their children’s screen time or ban screens altogether.
Car Seat Safety
It is amazing to think that car seats are a fairly modern innovation. Parents today are far more aware of the importance of car seat safety and many follow strict guidelines like using rear-facing car seats for infants and toddlers until at least age two. Booster seats are also a must until children are big enough to properly fit in a regular seatbelt, and that may not happen until the child is almost into double digit age! Installation has also become a focus, with some parents having car seats professionally installed or at least double checked by certified safety instructors. Riding in the car has never been safer and you will likely never catch a child of a millennial in a car without one!
