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The Generational Clash Over Parenting Boundaries
Why Millennials are Setting Firmer Limits — And Why Baby Boomers Often Struggle to Respect Them
I came across this recently where a couple with a newborn communicated clearly to their respective mothers that their first week home with their new baby, they wanted it to be just the three of them; meaning two parents and the baby.
While one of the grandmothers respected this boundary, the other grandmother showed up at their doorstep, shattering the clear boundary this couple had set. The grandmother in the clip explains to the new mother that she spent three hours getting there and while the mother respectfully reiterates her boundary her mother-in-law responds,
“But it’s my first granddaughter!”
As if this overrides this being the woman’s first child. If you’re feeling frustrated, you’re not alone.
I can’t say for certain whether the couple who posted the video are Millennials, but I know many Millennials struggle with not only setting boundaries with their Baby Boomer parents but with their parents respecting those boundaries.
You might be asking yourself, “What are Baby Boomers and Millennials? “Baby Boomer” or “Boomer” are terms commonly used to to refer to a…
