7 Things Millennial Parents Are Doing Right

No matter which generation we’re a part of, we want the best for our children and we’re willing to put in the work to make that happen. However, the United States is a very different place from what it was 20 or 30 years ago.

Millennial parents have challenges, resources and opportunities that their parents never faced or envisioned, which has led to some very big differences in how millennials approach parenting.

1. Starting families later

The current median age for getting married is 30 years old, compared to 23 years in the 1970s.¹ With more women pursuing careers and with prices and expenses increasing, family life seems to be put on hold.

2. Better informed

With so much knowledge at our fingertips thanks to the internet, today’s parents are searching for how-to tips for parenting. Millennials are strategic thinkers, interested in what has worked for other parents and what hasn’t.  Google found that three out of four parents are open to parenting tips they find on YouTube.²

3. Dads are stepping up

Nowadays, new fathers play a bigger role at home than did previous generations of dads. They strive to be “perfect” and are interested in learning everything they can about parenting.³ As super dads, they are more involved with tasks like baby-proofing, changing diapers, making important purchasing decisions and more.

4. Health conscious

Millennials tend to be more health conscious than previous generations.  They carry their health consciousness into their parenting style, aiming to serve as positive, healthy role models.

5. Dialogue is a priority

Millennial parents look for ways to be more “present” and involved, and let their kids be part of the decision-making process. Breaking away from “helicopter parenting,” they give their kids choices. Instead of pushing them to strive for perfection, they keep it real by having candid conversations with their little ones.

6. They don’t define themselves as only a mom or dad

“Millennial parents can do it all,” the saying goes. They prioritize their kids while still doing other things that make them happy. 75% of millennials say they’ve “continued to pursue personal passions” since becoming parents.³

7. Saving more for the future

Once kids come into the picture, it seems like saving for retirement is kicked into high gear. To put this in perspective, boomers are saving about 5% of their income for retirement. But the Millennial generation is saving twice as much, with a very financially responsible 10% of income going into retirement savings!⁴

And, of course, any sound retirement plan includes life insurance, so that spouses and children are financially protected if the unexpected happens.

Wrapping it up…

Yes, the parenting world we live in today is very different from previous generations. And Millennials may not be doing things the same way their parents did. New challenges require new approaches, and millennial parents are rising to meet those challenges. They seem to be doing parenting right.

1 – “Millennials Coming of Age,” Goldman Sachs, 2015,  https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/archive/millennials/

2 – “Marketing to Millennial Parents? Here’s How They’re Redefining Parenting for Their Generation,” Think with Google, March 2017,  https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/marketing-millennial-parents-youtube-insights/

3 – “Millennial Dads Turn to Digital in Their Moments of Need” Think with Google, June 2015,  https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/millennial-dads-turn-to-digital-in-moments-of-need/

4 – “Millennial Parents Outpace Gen X, Boomer Parents on Retirement Savings,” Nerdwallet survey conducted online by Harris Poll, Aug. 2017, https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/investing/parents-retirement-study/