A Look at the Different Generations and How They Parent

If you scroll through social media these days, you're likely to see a variety of memes dedicated to capturing some aspect of the generations. Whether it's Millennials talking about Gen X's "Karens" or their supposed need to side-part their hair, or Baby Boomers commenting on the helicopter parenting style of younger generations, we keep seeing stereotyped personality traits and habits Generations pigeonholed clean definitions. With all the different monikers and generational references, it can be confusing even to keep up with the latest generational-related phrases and terms.

More: 25 Generation Z slang phrases every parent should know

What is a generation and why do we even have these terms?

Most people are confused about how generations are labeled because they think in terms of age, and age is obviously an ever-moving target. It is most helpful to think of the generations in years of birth. When people refer to generations, they are thinking of a cross-section of people who were born at about the same time, which usually spans around 20 years or so.

As a society, we tend to lump together those people who were born around the same time because their lives were shaped by the same historical events and critical life events. Of course, there are many factors that go into how people become who they are, but if you think about the generations of people in your own life, you'll see certain similarities. The grandparents in your life are probably a lot more alike than your friends and peers. You are probably more likely to parent in a way that is like your friends than the way you were raised yourself. No matter how much you loved the way you were raised and how much you want to emulate that parenting style, the sheer difference in how different life is now when you were a kid creates a gap between your generation and that of your parents.

What are the generations and what are they known for?

• The greatest generation (born 1901 to 1927)
• The silent generation (born 1928 to 1945)
• Baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964)
• Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980)
• Millennials (born 1981 to 1996)
• Generation Z (born 1997 to present)
• Generation Alpha (2010s onwards)

Read on to learn more about the generational cohorts and what you need to know about them:

The greatest generation

AKA: The GI Generation (This refers to American soldiers in World War II.) The Greatest Generation is a term made famous by Tom Brokaw's book.

years of birth: The Pew Research Center defines this generation as being born between 1901 and 1927, but they are sometimes referred to as being born between 1901 and 1924.

Important events in her life:

• The Great Depression
• Second World War
• jazz and swing music
• The Roaring Twenties
• The stock market crash of 1929
• The golden age of Hollywood

parenting style:

They gave birth to the Baby Boomers and are the grandparents of Generation X and Millennials. This generation was all about raising their families to value hard work. They know about loss and hard times, and their realistic and pragmatic way of life has greatly influenced their parenting style.

In contrast to previous generations, the Greatest Generation produced very large families after the end of the Second World War. They did what they had to do to make ends meet and support several children. This generation had the skills to survive and thrive, and that message was very much emphasized to their children.

The Silent Generation

years of birth: 1928 to 1945

Important events in her life:

• The fall of the Nazis
• The rise of the atomic bomb
• Communism as an enemy
• The McCarthy era
• The Cold War

parenting style:

The Silent Generation was known for working within the system rather than fighting the system. They raised silently and without doing anything that drew attention to them. They kept their heads down and did what they had to do.

They are known for becoming parents at the youngest age of any generation, so they married and gave birth as young adults. They were also the generation that popularized divorce, and there was a lot of divorce in that generation. Many of the silent have raised their children to be "seen and not heard."

baby boomers

AKA: The Boomers

years of birth: 1946 to 1964

Important events in her life:

• 1960s counterculture
• higher standard of living
• Higher educational standards
• Vietnam War
• civil rights movement

parenting style:

The baby boomers are the parents of the late Generation X and millennials, and their name reflects the baby boom and increased birth rates. They raised their children with a focus on wanting the best for them. Ensuring her children go to college was a priority. Boomers were also experiencing the Summer of Love, so they had a chance to sow their wild roots. Her demographics couldn't be more different than the Silent Generation who raised her, and it shows in her parenting style. This generation actually cared about the perspective of how children felt growing up.

Generation X

AKA: Gen Xers or the MTV generation

years of birth: 1965 to 1980

Important events in her life:

• The AIDS epidemic
• MTV culture
• The rise of video games and personal computers
• Title IX and the rise of girls' sport
• They were many of the heroes of 9/11
• The Rise of the Internet
• The dot-com bubble

parenting style:

Gen Xers are all about parenting. They are a generation focused on learning about parenting and caring about work-life balance. They understand the importance of individualism and support their children's lifestyle choices more than previous generations. Generation X is also a generation of volunteers and very committed to their children's development.

millennials

AKA: Generation Y or Gen Y or the millennial generation

years of birth: 1981 to 1996

Important events in her life:

• A childhood with the internet
• The regular presence of cell phones
• The rise of social media
• The Great Recession
• The COVID-19 Pandemic

parenting style:

This generation has fewer children and is less likely to feel the need to be married to have children. Technology, the internet and social media are all important influencers in their lives as parents and in the lives of their children. This is an open-minded generation of parents who bring up in different styles that were not common generations before. They may have been the children of helicopter parents, so they naturally face freer parents compared to older generations.

Generation Z

AKA: Gen Z or Zoomers or iGen or post-millennials

years of birth: 1997 to present

Important events in her life:

• The ubiquitous Internet
• They didn't know life without mobile phones and digital media
• Covid-19 pandemic
• youth as activists

Generation Alpha

AKA: Gen Alpha or the next generation

years of birth: Beginning in the early 2010s

Important events in her life:

• They are the first generation born entirely in the 21st century.
• We are currently leading this generation to become world changers and the absolute best they can be.

By: A Look at the Different Generations and How They Parent