Nothing brings people together like a good meme. In particular, it humorously captures parenting truths that many of us can relate to: today’s gentle parenting and the parenting of our baby boomer parents. By the time I saw Taylor Wolfe on @thedailytay’s reel compare two parenting styles, the entire team at The Everymom had seen it, shared it, and received it. “My sister sent it to my family saying it was my mom and me lol,” said Alaina Kaz, our CEO and co-founder. “I sent this to my mom, and it’s like a recording of her and my sister,” said Megan Kemp, our senior sales manager. “Hahaha, my SIL sent this to me this morning,” said editorial intern Patti Schepel.
In the two days since Wolff posted a video teaching baby boomer mothers about raising millennials, it has been viewed over 20 million times, shared over 900,000 times, and racked up more than 600,000 likes. !” Why is this book so perfect for comparing the gentle parenting of Millennials to the parenting of Boomers? Wolf is one of the best (and hilarious) creators on the worldwide web. Not only that, but we also included Boomer’s mother, Sandy. And the juxtaposition of the two women may be the most relatable thing we see today.
“Teaching baby boomer mothers about parenting millennials”
Wolf, a mother of two, follows mothers in their typical daily parenting moments: at the playground, in the playroom, and when they leave the house. We watch as the two struggle to understand each other as Wolf coaches her mother on what to say and what not to say in order to maintain a child-friendly parenting style. .
Gentle parenting video for baby boomers
Somehow this video captures my daily inner monologue of trying to say the “right” thing. My instincts usually lean toward the boomer generation. But then all the articles and posts I’ve ever read scroll through my head and I try to use the Millennial translation. Are these things running through your head too?
Boomer: “Be careful.”
Millennial: “What’s the plan here?”
Boomer: “Stop hitting my sister.”
Millennials: “Gentle hands”
Boomer: “I’m so proud of you.”
Millennials: ‘You should be proud’
Boomer: “Good job”
Millennials: “Good choice”
Boomer: “I have to go.”
Millennials: Rushing causes anxiety.
Boomer: “Be careful.”
Millennial: “Do you feel safe here?”
Kind parenting and baby boomer parenting
It is a well-known fact that today, parents are overflowing with information on how to raise their children correctly. Many people adopt a gentle parenting style that puts the child’s emotional development first. Our baby boomer mothers may have read the occasional magazine article or called a friend from their home landline to ask for advice, but they may have read the best from expert research or influencers. I didn’t have any parenting hacks at my fingertips (not to mention, even that is ridiculous (just imagine a baby boomer dad picking up a parenting magazine).
Baby boomers have learned to trust their intuition more without fear of judgment and constant comparison. They weren’t always right. “My mother is hypervigilant. “She would fall and crack her head open,” says Alexandra Wolfe, our director of brand partnerships.
Commenting on Wolf’s video, @luvberger asked, “When did baby boomer parents start saying things like, ‘I’m so proud of you?'” The reply I received was, “When I become a grandpa and grandma lol.”
Should we try raising our children more like baby boomers?
Now that we are parents, many of us are trying to right the “wrongs” of our parents towards our children. And while we all have the best intentions, sometimes we need to hold a mirror up to ourselves to laugh at our overcorrection. Some of the comments on Wolf’s video point out that baby boomer parents may have been right.
“I read the same article, and for a long time we didn’t tell our kids that we were proud of them, we just said, ‘That’s so great!’ and stuff like that. And… My tween said, “Well, you never even tell me you’re proud of me.” Oh, I felt so bad…now I’m proud of them That’s what I always tell them! They need it and love hearing it! ” wrote @rachelwilloww.
“I’m all for kind parenting, but I honestly feel like the world is not a kind place. Sometimes we have to be a little baby boomer moms to these kids. Otherwise you’re going to have a really rude awakening when your kids go out to the world,” @namaste_time_out commented.
“I started being a Millennial with my 3rd child, I’m a Boomer,” @leiteletemari wrote.
Plus, we love Wolf’s mom Sandy in the comments section (you can follow her here!). They want her products and even have her as their mother. But it was Sandy’s final line that seemed to unite everyone, including millennial and baby boomer parents. “None of this nonsense gives me peace of mind.”
About the author
Kathy Sisson, Senior Editor
A mother of two, Kathy is passionate about sharing honest, helpful, and often humorous stories of motherhood while navigating the daily adventures of work, marriage, and raising children. She honed her creative and strategic skills at advertising agencies in Detroit and Chicago, then transitioned from marketing to editing. Now, instead of telling brand stories, she shares her own stories by publishing articles on popular parenting sites, including hundreds of stories on The Everymom.
