Right now, the world is full of Millennials, Generation Xers, Baby Boomers, and Generation Alpha. But Millennials are the generation most likely to be bringing up children. So who are they and how do they parent?
Were you born between roughly 1980 and 1996? Yes? Then, congratulations! You can consider yourself a ‘Millennial’!
Researchers and the media like to give names to people born in certain time periods to make it easier to spot trends and talk about how society changes.
You are called a ‘Millennial’ because many of your generation became adults around the year 2000 which was seen as the start of a new Millennium. Millennials are also known as ‘Generation Y’ or ‘Digital Natives’.
As a millennial, your parents are probably from the generation known as the ‘Baby Boomers’ or maybe from ‘Generation X’. The children of Millennial parents are usually called ‘Generation Alpha’.
Millennials become parents later than previous generations and they also do it differently.
Pew Research Center found that in 2019, just 44% of Millennials were married. At the same stage of life, 61% of Baby Boomers had tied the knot and 53% of Generation X.
Millennials also get married later in life compared to their parents. This generation is also more likely than previous ones to have a partner of a different race or ethnicity or to form families with a same-sex partner.
Right now, there are more Millennials in the world than any other generation and most of them are starting to have children. In 2020, more than 5.5 million Millennials were parents. Within the next four years, 83% of all parents will be from the Millennial generation.
In 2017, around 87% of new mothers in the UK were Millennials.
Millennial mothers are likely better educated and more qualified than mothers of previous generations and more Millennial women gain university degrees than Millennial men.
Millennial mothers are also much more likely to be working than mothers of previous generations at the same age and more likely to have more liberal ideas about things like school uniforms.
Thanks to more flexible working schedules and changing attitudes, Millennial fathers do more shopping, cooking, washing (both clothes and kids) and generally take a more active role in parenting than previous generations of fathers were able to do.
Millennials have a different relationship with their children compared to their parents.
They spend more time with their kids and show greater interest in their lives and development.
Research from Google/Ipsos Connect found that almost 80% of Millennial parents view their child as one of their best friends.
And rather than giving orders, like Baby Boomer parents might have done, 74% of Millennial parents actually talk about important family decisions with their kids.
Even though they try to build close relationships with their children, Millennial parents value their own interests strongly as well.
Becoming a parent shouldn’t mean you lose other parts of your identity. For Millenials, it’s ok to devote some time to personal hobbies and activities.
Having a life outside being Mum or Dad is a great way to recharge your batteries and put things in perspective!
You can involve your kids in your hobbies too. Lots of places are starting to cater to Millennial parents who want to have fun and bring their children as well! More and more family-friendly gigs, music festivals, and comedy shows are springing up across the country.
Millennials are also known as Digital Natives because they grew up just as the internet, smartphones, and social media became popular.
Millennial parents make good use of technology in their parenting. They share news about their kids and look for guidance from digital communities on social networks such as Instagram or Facebook and on apps like Mush or Peanut. However, even millennial parents aren't always aware of changes in the curriculum since they were at school.
Millennial parents use these tools to build relationships with other parents and swap tips and advice. In fact, they are more likely to turn to digital communities for advice than to their own parents!
Millennials usually place more value on exciting and memorable experiences like concerts, holidays, or festivals than on buying things and they enjoy creating special moments for their kids too. Nearly three-quarters of Millennials think having kids is important to have a happy life.
Millennials are both price-conscious and environmentally aware. Millennial parents take advantage of websites and apps to reduce costs, find the best deals, and live more sustainably.
Toys, clothes, prams, and other essential items are expensive and can quickly become useless as your kids grow. So, Millennial parents are also enthusiastic about reusing and sharing resources for their children rather than buying things new.
Millennial parents are more enthusiastic about the idea of home education. Since 2013, homeschooling has gone up by 130% in the UK.
Most Millennial parents home-schooled their kids during the pandemic lockdowns. One study reports that 36% of parents between 25 and 34 are now thinking about educating their child at home on a permanent basis.
Of course, home education doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing decision. Parents can continue to send their children to school and give them extra help on top. At Go Student, we understand the needs and expectations of Millennial parents. We’re here to support you and your child whatever educational path you choose. Try a free trial lesson to see how it can work for you and your child today.
