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Millennials are the first generation of parents to have grown up in the digital era — and it shows. Today’s parents have access to infinitely more information than their parents had, and they hold themselves to a different set of standards.
Some boomers may mock today’s touchy-feely gentle parenting, but these trends have grown out of insight into child development and the impact of childhood trauma. Many parents today believe that if you want to raise kind, respectful kids, you start by treating them with kindness and respect.
A changed economic landscape means parents are also under more financial pressure. The cost of childcare continues to rise, with the average cost of a week of daycare going up 13% between 2022 and 2024. Families today are spending an average of 24% of their income on childcare — that’s more than triple the 7% the Department of Health and Human Services considers affordable.
This problem, along with parents working longer hours and spending more time caring for their children, makes it no surprise that parents’ mental health is suffering. Back in August, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on parental mental health, citing “an intensifying culture of comparison” among the stressors weighing on parents, causing them to report significantly higher rates of stress than adults without children.
Today’s parents are certainly looking for support wherever they can find it, online or within their own families. Oftentimes, grandparents want to be helpful but may struggle with all the ways parenting has changed since they raised their children.
We asked millennial parents to tell us what they wish their parents understood. Here’s what they had to say.
Times have changed.
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