Despite my annoyance with the generation wars, I also have this weird love for them. Maybe it's because I'm a millennial and I get a kick out of constantly defending myself.
But nowhere do I find this battle between generations to be more compelling than when it comes to parenting. Specifically the claim that my parents - shepherding my siblings and I through the late 1980s through now (I was born in 1988 and my youngest brother is preparing to start his junior year of high school this fall) have it easier than I do as a millennial parent.
To be sure, some things truly were easier for my parents in the 90s. They could send us outside without fear of CPS being called, run into the store for a gallon of milk and leave us in the car, and internet predators weren't something they really needed to worry about. Despite this, I much prefer being a parent now
- We have improved language and society for things, all kinds of things. We have a language and society for seeking help with our mental health. We have a language and society that is coming closer to helping us feel closer to ourselves (I'm talking about pronouns and the like). We have a language and society that allows us to express the good and the bad.
- We've had decades to process and articular why sending your children to daycare isn't a bad or dangerous thing. Or at least, not any more dangerous than anything else we do with our kids, haha.
- The internet makes it easier to find our tribe and also to dress our kids affordably. Swap.com, what would I do without you? (That is not a paid endorsement, I just really like the website).
What are some things that make you glad to be parenting now, rather than being in your parents or grandparents shoes?
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://rachelahanson.blog/2018/07/20/generational-parenting/