When I think about the generation I belong to (the infamous Gen Z), I really love it. I feel grateful to have grown up in a time where people are aware of global political, social and environmental issues. I live in a time where opinions matter and one has the confidence to voice them.
As a 23-year-old girl living in 2021, I feel blessed to have parents who have raised me to take on this world and express myself and be confident in my own skin. I have to give them credit for being open and understanding towards me. But this isn’t always true for everyone and oftentimes the generation gap and difference in thoughts plays a spoilsport.
When I think of my future and how I’ll be as a parent, the way I bring up my child won’t be the same. There are certain situations I will deal with differently. For starters, I definitely won’t let my child put me on a pedestal and tell him/her that parents are always right, because they’re not. While our parents have got much more experience in life than us, it doesn’t mean they can’t make mistakes. So I think I’ll be a super fun and friendly mother with the right amount of seriousness to make sure my child is on track and doesn’t do something wrong. Think 60 % Phil and 40% Claire Dunphy from Modern Family in one body. That would be goals.
I have made up these scenarios in my mind of the times when my kid comes and talks to me about certain issues and challenges, and how I will address them as a Gen Z parent. And here’s how I think it will go.
Failure
It would be funny if I yelled at my child for failing an exam, given the fact that I had once scored ½ out of 10 on a Math test. Channelling my inner Gary Vee, I would motivate my child to not be dejected about failure since it’s a part of life. So I’ll say- It’s okay to fail and make mistakes because you only learn from it. What matters is how you get back up after that, keep trying to figure out what you’re going to do next and how you plan to make it work. Fin. *Thank you for coming to my 10 second Ted Talk*
The goal is to make my kid confident and not be embarrassed about his/her failures. And one thing I will NEVER do is compare my child’s abilities with someone else’s.
Career Choices
I’m glad to be a part of a time when there are plenty of career options, and you can actually make a living from it. So if my child wants to be an influencer or travel the world to review places and food, I’m all for it.
Coming Out And Gender Identity
Since my generation has been the most accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community and vocal about fighting for their rights as allies, I believe as parents, we won’t be shocked if our child comes out to us about their sexual orientation or gender identity. A recent order passed by a Supreme Court Judge might not agree that two people of the same sex who love each other count as a family unit, but I sure do! I’ll absolutely be okay and will accept my child for whoever they choose to be and love whoever they want to.
Relationships And Marriage
From the time my child spills the tea on who they have a crush on to getting into a serious/fun relationship and finally deciding to get or not to get married or stay single the whole life, I will be there for them every step of the way. The point is to support and trust my kid’s choices and accept the partner he/she chooses to be or not be with.
Overall Decision Making
One of the things I’ve noticed people struggle with is how their parents are interfering or getting too involved in their child’s life even after they’re an adult and have the full capability of making their own decisions. As a Gen Z parent, that is something I will take a step back on with my son or daughter after they’re full-grown adults.
Financial Planning
My parents have always encouraged me to save. Who wouldn’t have a piggy bank, right? But financial planning just doesn’t stop at saving. How you spend your money and keeping track of where it goes matters too. And this is something that I would like to teach my child from a young age and not when they get their first salary.
Not Caring About Other People’s Judgements
I’m pretty sure by the time people from Gen-Z become parents, the whole ‘log kya kahenge’ thought will fly out of the window. We’ve had enough of it. I will certainly not pay heed to anything others say about my child because neither does my child, nor I need that type of negativity in our life #GoodVibesOnly.
Mental Health
I will never ignore my child’s mental wellbeing and let them be afraid to talk to me about what they’re going through, however small. Even if they would want to seek help from a therapist or counsellor, I would support it and encourage them to do so.
