New research has shown that more than 70% of millennial parents think their parenting style is 'better' than that of past generations but nearly half are struggling with parental 'burn out.'
Millennial parents have updated the rule book, throwing out the things they wish their parents had done differently while they were growing up and welcoming in new, more calming, parenting styles like gentle parenting and therapeutic parenting.
And it's not just a few millennial parents here and there who are changing the game. A new study by Lurie Children’s Hospital has found that nearly 9 in 10 millennials say their parenting style is different from how they were raised, with 3 in 4 believing that they are better parents than their parents were.
Gentle parenting is leading the way, with 3 in 4 millennial parents saying they practice gentle parenting. The top three ways these parents are implementing the parenting approach, according to the study, is by creating more open communication with their children, putting a greater emphasis on emotional intelligence, and being more flexible with their parenting approach as and when is needed.
Still, while millennials think they're doing a better job than the generations before them, they're not patting themselves on the back too much and are still struggling with certain aspects of parenting. The worst part? Burn out.
The research found that nearly half of all millennial parents feel burned out. The sings of parental burnout can be hard to spot but more and more people are struggling in the age of social media where comparison with others is rife. The research blames social media for creating unrealistic parenting expectations for families and reports that 30% of millennial mums unfairly compare their parenting success to the 'unrealistic expectations' plastered across social media.
But while they may be struggling with burn out impacting their mental health, relying on natural anxiety remedies that can help you to unwind and other tips to help manage stress, millennials are keen to make sure their own kids are not struggling with their's.
80% of millennial parents believe they set a good example for their children in dealing with stress and supporting mental health, the research says, with a whopping 98% of millennial parents saying they talk with their children about mental health regularly. On top of this, 12% currently have a child in therapy, though 1 in 5 admit they hesitate to tell others for fear of judgment.
As the authors of the research say, "Navigating parenthood in 2024 isn’t an easy feat," but millennials are trying their hardest and it's clearly paying off.
In other family news, we can happily announce that cash-strapped millennials are set to become the richest generation in history! On the other end of the spectrum, a millennial mum has shared what her tween says are ‘old people names' and we're not sure if we should be offended or not. And, if you're in need of some nostalgia, millennial parents have shared the biggest differences between their children's lives vs how they grew up.
