MOTHERS DAY

Motherhood is such a personal role that most women have to undertake in life, especially in India. But more than that, it is also a societal construct , an identity, and a full time job.

Influence of Boomer parenthood on Millennial mothers

Boomer mothers have set unrealistically high expectations of doing it all, but their millennial children have borne the brunt of their added burden. While boomer mothers have embraced motherhood as their topmost priority in life, wanting the best of health and opportunities for their girls, it has also conflicted those same millennial girls growing up into independent women entering or planning to enter motherhood but struggling to do it all on their own since they’ve been raised to focus on their career at least equally if not more. Biologically, millennial women are in their peak fertility age and its equal parts commendable and surprising to see them embracing motherhood in a more traditional manner than imagined, but also keeping up with times and demands of a growing generation. Millennial mothers have a plan.

As a generation, millennials have gone through economic, environmental and emotional disturbances, which have affected them significantly, mentally. As mothers, their goal is to make sure that their children don’t go through it. They are mindful, progressive, and caring. They are more informed, understand mental health, its importance, and believe in giving space and setting boundaries which is leading to a more secure set of responsible growing kids.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Influence of Boomer parenthood on GenZ

GenZ, the current youth is a step behind parenthood but while the littlest of them are millennial kids, we want to talk about the GenZ entering their late twenties with boomer mothers.Technically GenZ, this small cohort has spent similar time with young millennials relative to their own kind so one can expect them to be sensitive to mental health. But they’re also expected to
be much more inclusive, non-judgemental, and pragmatic. True digital natives, pro-government,social justice-minded and progressive, this first post-millenial Gen Z generation is well educated in the country, which also makes most of them aware of how parenting is complicated andunlike boomers, they care about doing it absolutely right with financial and emotional security.

Having gone through a recession, a pandemic, a disturbing global political environment, and worsening climate change, genZ have been exposed to external issues out of individual control. This can lead to more skepticism for motherhood in a lot of women for it doesn’t feel like the world has a lot to offer. That being said, since Indians in general are family oriented and thrive within a community, genZers here are likely to consider it at some points in their lives despite occasionally finding it difficult, unattainable, and as a hindrance to their personal lives.

Millennial Mothers vs Potential GenZ mothers

We have well observed that Millennial women are perfectionists, and favour aesthetics over convenience more often than not, while GenZ women care more about doing things efficiently, conveniently, and comfortably which might make the latter, easier mothers. That being said, having grown up with boomer mothers, and seeing new millennial mothers around, they’re also
likely to look at motherhood as something really complicated that they might want to conveniently avoid. While millennial mothers can seem more family oriented, the population of GenZ mothers could be much less, potentially, given their realistic and pragmatic ways of functioning.
 

It is also important to mention the impact of technology on motherhood for both cohorts. While millennials are tech savvy, the mothers are likely to navigate through technology pretty decently, but being born into tech, GenZ are digital natives. They don’t have to try to be tech savvy, and are naturally adept. It’s no longer a masculine thing.We can already also see that while millennials are exploring services online like never before, GenZ being more woke are opting for sustainable means like thrifting, renting, pooling, etc. It ultimately boils down to them spending and managing more quality time online than millennial mothers.

All being said and done, motherhood is really subjective, and also a lot to expect from one person. Parenting is teamwork, and depends a lot on what one has experienced in life, but from the looks of it, both the cohorts seem to be getting around to it decently well, despite apprehensions.

 

Written by Aakriti Gupta