I Wish Gen Z Parents Understand This About Their Kids

It is an eternal struggle, the generation gap between parents and children. Though one cannot claim that either of them are completely right or wrong. It is a two-way street.

The rigidness towards technology doesn’t allow the cultivated old mindset to reform. And with everything “out there”, preserving the sanity has also become a tough task.

Some core values and principle are not worth changing whereas being negligent to the fast changing and ever evolving world is also impractical.

For those who don’t know, people who were born between 1997 and 2012 are called “Gen Z”. And the ones who gave birth to us morons were the Gen X, born between 1965–1980.

Growing up, I too have faced this with my parents. Since I am not able to voice it out to them openly (I need to respect them too) I am sharing it here.

If you are like me and can relate, same pinch.

If you are a parent, these are the things your child will never tell you.

We Are Smarter Than Them

We, the Gen Z, were literally born into the hands of internet. So, you see, there is clearly a world of difference between us and our parents. The internet explosion has given us access to a humungous load of information.

Just because we do not work with sweat and blood does not mean we do not work at all. According to Monster Survey whilst the view of the younger generation is that they are lazy or lack ambition, 42% say that they want to own their own business, and 76% described themselves as responsible for driving their own career. In fact, 58% said they were willing to work nights and weekends for higher pay, beating both Millennials (45%) and Gen X (>40%)

The internet has opened doors for education and upskilling. A kid can make websites and software just with the help of a PC and internet. While they must think that we are just stupid people who think of ourselves as smart, it is not the case.

I wish they understand that we are smarter. Them denying it doesn’t change it. Just like how Gen Alpha is smarted than us. This is the law of nature.

Their Luxuries Are Now Our Necessities

Speaking on call was a luxury to them.

A dinner in a restaurant was luxury.

Something as basic as a sanitary napkin was luxury.

It is not for us. Our parents have seen the age of riots and wars. They weren’t given those opportunities which we are handed now. But this does not mean they should be completely disregarded or still provided as a luxury to us.

I wish they understand that we need few things like gadgets, a gym membership, and personal space. It is a part of our lifestyle. We do not owe anything to them for providing these things to us because these are our basic rights and needs.

We Can fail And It’s Okay

Our parents think of us as an “invincible and a perfect angel” who can never do wrong or fail at anything. Because we are their kids.

We are stubborn and sometimes we don’t listen to them. At times we are wrong, and we fail. And last thing we need is pressure from our parents on screwing up. It doesn’t help. It only drives them further away from us.

We are no super humans. We can fail. Repeatedly. And it is okay to let us fail without them feeling guilty or thinking where they went wrong.

I wish they let us learn from our own mistakes and failures instead of trying to protect us from it.

The world doesn’t care

Probably the most annoying habit is constantly worrying about what “others” would think or say to them about us. And with this fear, they present us like a trophy.

Shiny. Flawless. Perfect.

They have this fear of “What will people think if our son doesn’t get the 20 LPA package” Or “What will people say if our daughter marries for love”

But we all know that no one really cares. Nobody cares about anything more than themselves. People pass remarks and opinions carelessly and their opinions change faster than seasons. Just as how they are busy worried about their son and daughters, others too are busy doing the same.

I wish they give up that fear and let us live on our own terms open mindedly, instead of forcing their mental models.

Disagreement is not Disrespect

Ever had a conversation with your parents where you try to convince them something and you get a “So now you’ve outgrown your parents?” thrown at you? Exactly.

I quote from BuzzFeed “The stereotype is that Gen X doesn’t understand the causes that Gen Z care about, they have a tendency to stand their ground and act like everybody else is wrong and they are always right”

But have they thought why?

Why is it so difficult for them to agree to have different view. They want either the opponent to submit and agree to them or they pick just another rivalry for life.

I wish they understand the existence of gray. That sometimes nothing is right or wrong. It is just the way it is. So, considering our opinion once in a while might not hurt.

That’s it from my side. If you have any other point to add to this list, feel free to comment them here.

If you enjoyed reading, please do clap. It makes me happy :)

Until next time,

ZUFINE.