PARENTING IS A LEARNING PROCESS

Every person reading this has had a parent. Some of us are even still in contact with them. Our parents have formed our adult selves They also, for better or worse have shaped our parenting style. Let's look briefly at how things have changed in recent history first. This way we are not just raging and shaking our fists when things change. Understanding the Why is the first step to finding the What and How.

The silent generation raised the baby boomers. They valued traditions, stoicism, and loyalty. Their children, the baby boomers ended up struggling with reconcile wartime existence with the freedoms that came with the creation of the middle class following World War II. Boomers kept their parents' authoritarianism and value for traditions and rugged independence.

Unfortunately, the also loved the idea of “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” while simultaneously ignoring the meaning of it. This idiom describes the absurdity of attempting the impossible. Baby boomers also held to the belief that children should be seen and not heard, another impossible task. Had they even met the chronologically challenged?

Gen X, notorious for wanting anonymity, was not okay with the way they were raised and insisted on doing things differently. They adopted a more balanced approach to parenting as with all other. The gen X mind strives to maintain a work/life balance. Gen X parents valued open communication with their children and were much more involved in their lives. And then we have Millennial, the generation that receive much of the venom spat out by the Boomers to anyone they disagree with. My own father used the term “consent” with such hatred when discussing marriage equality, you would think that it had harmed him personally. This generation paved the way for conscious parenting. Millennial parents abhor corporeal punishment, hey value mental health, individuality, empathy, communication, and respect. These qualities are what tends to infuriate the boomers because instead of punishment millennial parents work with their children so that they may learn and grow from their mistakes. On to gen Z. parents. Gen Z falls very neatly in line with Millennial parents with one major deviation: they fear falling short of perfection.

A conscious parent acts intentionally, knowing how their words and behaviors. I predict that our generations will continue to follow the path that allows children to grow and develop toward self-actualization. As well as shifting societies away from archaic values and toward ones that better match the people. Now, if you're sitting there heated about children not being spanked or exploring the concept of gender or disdainfully sneering at children who are acting out to get attention I have to ask: Who hurt you sunshine? Spanking causes trauma (no, you did not turnout just fine), gender is entirely a social construct, and they aren't hurting you and you should know that proper brain development requires attention from their care givers. Just something to think about.