“'I always give my son a wakeup call,' the mother explained, 'but he’s not answering.' The provost told this concerned mother she cannot inform parents if their adult students are in class. 'Student?' the mother exclaimed. 'No, he’s teaching the class.'”
The anecdote above was reported in Inside Higher Education and vividly describes what has come to be known as the helicopter parent. This type of parent pays extremely close attention to a child's experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions, hovering overhead, overseeing the child's life, according to Wikipedia.
Coming of age with the Baby Boomer generation, the helicopter parent, according to generational researchers, was born out of two societal shifts: the booming economy of the ’90s and a growing concern about child endangerment. Schools and colleges alike have struggled to deal with this generational phenomenon, many seeing it intensify with Gen X.
Millennial Parents’ Core Values and Habits Distilled
As we prepare for a new generation of parents in our schools, teachers and administrators alike wonder if the Millennials will follow in their predecessors’ footsteps or raise their children quite differently. The leading edge of Millennials are just becoming parents so it is too soon to know exactly how they will behave as their children grow, but research is beginning to uncover details on their parenting values and habits.
Millennials are the largest and most racially diverse generation in the U.S. today — 43 percent are nonwhite. The Census Bureau reports that about half of newborns today are nonwhite, with this trend continuing until the U.S. population is majority nonwhite by 2043.
According to a Pew Research poll, this generation greatly values being a parent, with 52 percent reporting that being a good parent is the most important thing in their life. When it comes to raising children, Millennials value many of the same qualities for their children as their parents and grandparents — being responsible, working hard, and helping others receive top ranking from all generations, while creativity stands out as a more important value for Millennials than for other generations.
Although core values tend to remain throughout a person’s lifetime, behaviors can be influenced by external events. Generational researchers suggest that the Great Recession has had a profound impact on parenting behaviors — particularly among young parents. A CBS News poll found that, faced with financial hardships, many families had to cut out extracurricular activities for their kids, and to their surprise, found that they enjoyed the simpler family togetherness this brought them.
Desiree Kane, a Millennial lifestyle blogger, predicts that Millennial parents will continue to follow this path. “They won’t enroll them in after school college prep programs while they’re in middle school, etc. I think we’ll see a shift away from focusing on milestones and metrics. I think we’ll notice a move towards less ‘safeguarding’ children’s future because truly, whatever Gen Y children turn out to be will be just fine for Gen Y to accept since we accept and encourage diversity and individuality so much within our peers.”
Two Trends Now Making Waves: Drone Parenting and Snowplow Parenting
Other Millennial trend spotters suggest that a new, even more noteworthy trend is emerging. A recent Time magazine article noted that, although most Millennials do not approve of helicopter parenting, they are adopting a new style — drone parenting. Drone parenting does not require that the parent be present, but rather be able to monitor a child remotely through a mobile device. Also, like drones, the drone parent is able to make a very accurate strike when called into action to address a child’s problem.
In an article appearing in HuffPost Parents, clinical psychologist George Sachs writes of the dangers of this kind of behavior: “Drone parenting also has a lot in common with a new phenomenon, ‘snowplow parenting.’ Drone parents anxiously do all they can to protect their kids from the unpleasantness in the world while snowplow parents actively shove obstacles out of their kids’ way to ensure their success. The end goal is the same: to give their kids the world, to actively get it for them rather than show them how to go after it themselves. The result? Kids who burn out, refuse to try, or fail to bounce back quickly because they don’t know how to take a hit from life or they don’t believe they should ever have to.”
Whether or not drone parenting is here to stay is a wait-and-see proposition. Another behavior thought that is likely to remain part of Millennial parenting is the use of technology, particularly smartphones and tablets. Already, many apps have launched to aid Millennial parents:
- Ignore No More allows parents to take control of their child’s phone when a parent’s calls are ignored.
- Sproutling provides information on a child’s vital signs and environment, and sends text alerts to the parent’s phone.
- Pumpic allows a parent to track a child’s location.
- Best of Parenting provides advice to resolve many different parenting issues.
A screenshot of the app Best of Parenting
Things to Know When Reaching Out to Millennial Parents
What does all of this mean for independent schools? Although we can only speculate at this time about how Millennials will make educational decisions, there are number of attributes and values that schools should consider as they reach out to Millennial parents:
- Millennials are digital natives so schools must engage them via technology.
- They are hooked on social media, so teachers and administrators should use it actively to involve them in the school experience.
- Millennials believe in causes and will want to know what a school stands for.
- They care about a healthy lifestyle and will seek information on how this is addressed throughout the school.
- Millennials are very influenced by peers and involved in social networks, so engaging current Millennial parents as ambassadors can be a very effective way to engage new parents.
- At their core, they have the same values for their children as their parents and grandparents, so schools should not lose sight of those important mission critical elements that have always drawn families to the school.
In conclusion, we are welcoming a new set of parents into our schools who hold dear the values that independent schools uphold. We will need to connect with them on their terms though and allow them to be active participants in their children’s journey.
