Generation What?

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generationsI have never been a fan of labels, but you can’t deny the era we were each born into and the birth order of our children, planned or not. But recently, I began hearing a few new terms like, “Millennial” and “Generations X, Y, and Z.” I must admit all this piqued my interest. I always thought Millennials referred to group of kids born in the year 2000 and beyond. As for the rest, I had no clue.

My theory was totally wrong. Millennials, also known as Generation Y, refer to persons reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century. I had three of those in my beloved brood. Then there was Generation Z, representing kids born somewhere between the mid 90’s to mid 2000’s, one being my 14 year old. And that covered all my children. But how about us, the doting parents? And the one surviving grandparent? Come to find out, we were members of our own elite groups.

My husband and I each belong to the “Late Baby Boomers” gang, and my mom is a member of the “Silent Generation.” And if this wasn’t a perfect example of an oxymoron, Nanna was ANYTHING  but silent, and her favorite past time was dispensing advice to all of us, young and old, based on the 1957 world she still lived in.

And then I wonder why my household gets a little loud and crazy at times?! So our daily life is quite colorful, and I have found it is best to accept and even participate in the turmoil because it is the only way to maintain half my sanity. For starters, two of my Millennial kids still live at home, which is apparently very common, for one very good reason; it’s way too expensive to live alone elsewhere. And so these young adults who are usually very hard working, and money conscious, seem to meander in and out of our home at will, with friends and their significant others, following their own set of rules, which don’t always match ours. Not to mention creating conflicts with their “Gen Z” little sister.

She is very content sitting in her room, alone for hours, devoted to her electronic devices. But according to her siblings, she is like a recluse. But if you take a closer look, she is actually social and productive at the same time. She often does homework with her friend, via face time and has instant access to a world of knowledge, which the “Gen Y” did not.

I’ll never forget their excitement hearing that first dial up phone signal connecting them to the internet many years ago, while my husband and I recounted the endless trips to the public library searching for periodicals for term paper projects. We still remember a cranky parent dropping us off and picking up, while making sure our pockets were loaded with dimes to make copies of pages from a massive textbook, sometimes, that wouldn’t lie flat on the copier unless you practically sat on it. Oh the horror!

And then there is our sole living member of the “Silent Generation” who barely finished 5th grade in a one-room schoolhouse in the southern tip of Italy, but had so preciously earned the title of Big Nanna to her two great grandchildren. How very special is that! (Now there’s a wealth of stories for another post!). And eerily, my mom’s adult grandchildren, the Millennials, mimicked her a little when they chided their 14-year-old sister for not even attempting to find a little job, because they were working already part-time after school at her age. And of course my mom chimed in with them. And what Late Baby Boomer wants to hear that spiel over and over? After all, we are the ones sandwiched into the middle of all this pandemonium.

Sometimes, it takes great effort just listening to all of our generations interacting simultaneously, and greater restraint to keep your mouth shut. I think it is wise to ration our strength, because as “Late Baby Boomers” we are moving toward retirement age, which means we are probably going to be working a little harder, if anything.

I do try as a daughter, mother, and grandmother to focus on the positive and consider the struggles each generation faces, and try to make the best of it. My teenager was born into a technological era, and has to survive high school and beyond, using her cell phone, computer, and i-Pad to be socially active and achieve a sense of belonging with the right kind of friends, through parental supervision, and take full advantage of it all when it comes to schoolwork. This works for me too regarding homework duty. I’m exempt from explaining how I managed to earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting, but can’t help her with solving a simple algebraic equation. And sometimes, my Millennial kids are a handful, and not in a toddlerish kind of way, but they are also capable of buying ingredients and creating a great meal that us tired “Late Baby Boomer” parents could really appreciate after a long day at work. And my “Silent Gen” mom lends an ear when I complain about all my children and their issues because she has nothing better to do, and who couldn’t use some free therapy occasionally, no matter what generational group you belong to.

Members of Generation X do not exist in my family, but many of my younger cousins are from the era of being born between the mid 1960’s to early 1980’s and they are quite an interesting bunch too. I find they are resourceful and independent, but also a little lost and cynical. Can you recall the cast of “The Breakfast Club”? That’s them, and the movie was certainly a timeless classic, but did you ever wonder what happened Monday at school, when they returned to their respective cliques? I think it’s safe to say we’ve all been privy to that struggle, at some point, but emerged unscathed.

I must admit, the most intriguing group of individuals is the still unnamed generation, which basically includes my grandson, and future grandchildren, hopefully. My little prince’s ability to use electronic devices, at age 2 ½ literally takes my breath away! In a typical spoiled first grandchild sort of way, he insists and I deliver. Non stop snacks, reciting along with him his three fave books four times over and allowing him to watch videos repeatedly, and not the kind his mother watched, like “Little Bear” and “Today’s Special,” but the ones of himself on my cell phone. He knows exactly where to find them and how to play them, sometimes even creating a slideshow. So truly astonishing! Where does a 2-year-old techie go from here?

And what name will differentiate this new generation? X, Y, Z and? Regardless of future events, I’m already very proud of my own generation and the ones I came from, without mentioning our numerous accomplishments, and even more so for my “Millenial” children who have grown up to be a bunch of nice kids, each working hard and together with their spouses. The rest is just icing on the cake, and yes that’s a “Late Baby Boomer” term, but timeless still. Good luck to Gen Z, the new up and coming young adults, equipped with the best technological tools, to be used wisely, and be so grateful for parents in the know who adore them.

Lastly, remember it’s not so easy gathering everyone together from all generations, and coexisting harmoniously (even for a little while) but it’s the total chaotic bliss we all hope and live for!

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fran
Fran was born, raised, married, and still lives in Mount Kisco, NY. She has four kids, including a teenage daughter and two precious grandsons, whom she babysits a couple of days a week. She also works part-time as an accounting clerk, helps run her husband’s excavation business, and lastly aspires to finish writing her book one day. Despite her crazy, busy schedule, she cooks almost every night for her big family and tries her best to keep up with the dishes! She truly believes spontaneity is the spice of life, and sometimes the very unexpected happens, but it’s usually all for the best. Enjoy her many tales of raising kids over 20 years; what an amazing journey!