Over the course of time, generational gaps have been used to describe differences in cultural norms, values, tastes and outlooks between members of different age groups. They occur when members of a younger and older generation do not understand each other causing conflict, complicating communication, and ultimately creating a “gap. “While there have always been differences between generations today, especially between the Baby Boomers who raised Millennials, as there is a wider gap created by the increased access to the experiences and cultural influences of different people which has been greatly fueled by dramatic technological advancement.
Millennials are currently navigating bigger societal shifts than their parent’s generation and in this article, we explore how Millennials are navigating parenting in comparison to their parents, the Baby Boomers.
Individuality
Before now, in Nigerian society, questioning authority or merely asking “why?” was to a large extent regarded as disrespectful. Today, Millennials value positive discipline over authoritarian measures; they want to understand the rationale behind their children’s thinking before correcting, they also encourage their children to be more inquisitive and confident. Millennials are all about collaboration and they want to foster healthy relationships with their children. They have found that children want to be your friend and share their experiences but the only way to get that access is by creating an environment where they feel respected, trusted, and heard.
When asked about the individualistic nature of children now and its effect on parenting, Olayinka Oduwole, director of studies, Rainbow College says children today grow up with a stronger sense of self. They know who they are, what they want and have no problem communicating that. With young kids, it’s important for us to encourage them to be themselves and be expressive from a young age. We’ve discovered that to get them to listen, you have to listen to them first, what this does is boost their confidence and help with their self-expression”
Quality time
Millennials strive for work-life balance and although they are hard workers, statistics have shown they spend more time with their kids even if it means scheduling family time. One of the biggest misconceptions about parenting today is that parents are less devoted than parents were decades ago, even though many families now have two working parents, a lot of parents today are spending more time with their children than parents did in the 90s. The concept of “family time” has evolved beyond group dinners, today’s parents still value spending quality time as a family, they’ve just found a different time to do it and we are seeing a lot of young families creating new family traditions.
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Family life is also seeing the role of men changing, research has shown millennial parents are very intentional about the memories they create with their children, millennial fathers are more involved, adopting strong co-parenting structures within their homes to create a healthy environment for their families. They attend school functions, take turns in caring for their children, and are more involved in family affairs than most of their fathers were.
Education
Millennials are taking a different approach to their child’s education. Before now, parents were driven by their children to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. With the changing times, Millennials have become open to their children exploring a wider range of career choices. They also start their children off in schools at an early age, making sure the schools they attend offer extra benefits like foreign languages, swimming, chess, music classes, and training that will set them on the same scale as children around the world. “Today’s parents want to know how much and what exactly their children are learning in order to play a greater role in shaping their kids’ learning and are placing equal emphasis on academics and extracurricular activities. It is for this reason; we offer a diverse set of extracurricular activities such as fencing, dance, and swimming that help students build skills beyond the classroom – Olayinka Oduwole, director of studies, Rainbow College
Millennials who feel they were not permitted to follow their choice of careers are very dedicated to making sure their children do not go down the same fate. The difference between millennials and their parents is that they are providing their children with more options to choose from without fear or expectations.
Apart from the influences of the digital age and more access to diverse cultures, one can attribute the current generational shift to the focused and competitive nature of children today. With limitless information at their fingertips, they have a lot of knowledge and exposure to many different topics, they have strong opinions and want them to be heard, they expect to be an equal contributor and believe their ideas are just as valuable as ideas from members of other generations, and while they may lack the experience their ability to process information quickly and compete make them a voice to be heard in any situation and this has also made it imperative for millennials to adopt parenting styles which in many ways different from how they were raised.
*Awotayo writes in from Lagos
