Time flies so fast and now millennials are becoming parents. In this regard, many cannot help but notice the difference in the parenting styles of then and now, which begs the question, "what changed?"
Katharine Hill, an author and UK Director at Care for the Family, believes that parenting was then easier because families lived near each other, therefore they could depend on the extended family's wisdom and support. This is true to some culture, aunts, uncles, grandparents or cousins take part in parenting through providing reassurance, support and advice to the child.
The African culture values parenting as a shared responsibility. It is a communal affair that includes not just the immediate and extended family but also friends and neighbors, hence, the proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child."
Back then, parents sought out their friends with children of similar age and schedule a time when they could get together and mingle with each other. Consequently, children were exposed to different sets of values and parents get to share their experiences of child-rearing with the other parents. These were back then, but what about now?
It has been reported that most, if not all, millennial parents are reliant with a nanny or day care facilities. Because life is now fast-paced, modern parents tend to do parenting from afar, which means that they use video chatting apps while at work or on the road to keep the connection with their children.
The difference in geographical location between the extended family and the immediate family is also considered as a contributing factor. However, there is now what most people call the virtual babysitting wherein applications such as FaceTime and Skype are being used as assistants to the said task.
Families and friends can now be asked to look after the child for a brief period of time while mommy focuses and gets the task done. Other than that, the said applications are also being used by Millenial mothers so the children can develop the connection with their grandparents, according to MediaPost.
Click the video below for additional information how parents were back then and now. As for more news and updates, check out Parent Herald.
