Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Therapist Calls Out Millennial And Boomer Parents—And Each Generation's Reactions Are So Telling

Screenshots from Stephanie Lindeman's TikTok videos
@stephanne221/TikTok

Family therapist and TikToker Stephanie Lindeman didn't realize she'd conducted a social experiment until after reading how Millennial parents responded to criticism versus Boomer parents.

Try as they might, no parent is going to be a perfect parent 100% of the time.

The difference is the accountability a parent takes when it's pointed out to them that they have messed up.


In a series of videos, Steph the Attachment Therapist on TikTok recently offered feedback to Millennial and Boomer parents, pointing out the key behavior that could impact their relationships with their children.

And the reactions to these videos were nothing short of eye-opening.

In the first video, Steph specifically addressed Millennial parents and the key behavior she believed would "f**k up their kids."

Being the generation that grew up alongside the rise of the internet and cellphones and the dawn of social media like MySpace and Facebook, it stands to reason that a key concern for parents in this generation would be spending too much time on their phones.

The attachment therapist pointed out that children of these parents would more likely have to fight harder for attention but would likely lose to the parent's screen time, which would send the message that they were not a top priority.

You can watch the Millennial parenting video here:

@stephanne221

Parenting psychology 101: what signals are you sending your children? Signals of attunement, or rejection? It’s natural to accidentally send signals of rejection, what’s critical is the ability to attune, validate, and repair. Also, this experiment was btwn a mom and a daughter so i focus on the mom-daughter caregiving bond, but this dynamic can be present for any caregiver-carereciever relationship. #mom #parentingtips #parenting #relationships #relationship #family #millennial #millennialmom #childhood #childhoodtrauma #generationaltrauma #psychology #attachment #attachmentstyle #therapy #therapytiktok #therapytok #mentalhealth #fyp #foryou #foryoupage

Heartwarmingly, most Millennial parents commented on the video to take accountability and seeking ways to do better.

@stephanne221/TikTok

@stephanne221/TikTok

@stephanne221/TikTok

@stephanne221/TikTok

@stephanne221/TikTok

Pleased with how this video went over, Steph recorded a follow-up video, this time focusing on Boomer parents.

According to Steph, Millennial parents are likely to have distant moments with their kids because of their attachment to technology, whereas Boomer parents are likely to distance themselves from their kids because of their lack of accountability.

It's a frequent feature in the parent-child dynamic for a child to try to voice their emotions only to be shut down by their Boomer parent, with the parent deflecting their behaviors back onto their child and blaming the child for their actions. This often leads these now adult children to not emotionally share with their parents, or to even go fully no contact with them.

You can watch the Boomer parenting video here:

@stephanne221

Accountability matters and can heal relationships. If youre a parent who is serious about improving your relationship with your children, this is for you! #parentingtips #parenting #relationships #relationship #family #boomer #childhood #childhoodtrauma #psychology #therapy #attachmentstyle #millennial #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #conflict #communication #healing #kids #okboomer #mentalhealth #therapy #therapytok

True to the video, the Boomers in the comments deflected their behavior and did not take accountability.

@stephanne221/TikTok

@stephanne221/TikTok

@stephanne221/TikTok

@stephanne221/TikTok

@stephanne221/TikTok

After seeing the comments, Steph had to come back and do a video on the accidental "social experiment" she'd conducted in the comments sections of these videos.

Millennials have become known as the generation that wants to pursue therapy for self-improvement and to break generational curses, while Boomers are often seen as a generation of narcissists, because of their habits of deflecting their behaviors onto other people and otherwise calling younger people "snowflakes" for trying to do better.

It's unfortunate to see this because when the Millennial parents used Steph's video as a tool to improve their parenting, the Boomer parents just acted as examples of what Steph was talking about in her Boomer video.

After Steph posted the "social experiment" video, most of the Boomer comments in the earlier video were deleted, but she was able to screenshot some in her video.

You can watch her video about the accidental "social experiment" here:

@stephanne221

So believe it or not, i accidentally gave both millennial parents and boomer parents feedback on how they injure their children, and wowow the results say a lot 🤯😳😳 #millennial #millennialsoftiktok #millennialmom #mom #parenting #parentingtips #kids #parenting101 #psychology #socialexperiment #boomer #boomerparents #socialexperiment #therapy #therapytiktok #mentalhealth #family #communication #healing #relationships #relationship #fyp #foryou #foryourpagе

All parents are going to mess up from time to time because they're human, and that is okay.

Again, the difference is that they do what they can to correct the mistake and take accountability for their actions.

Children who see their parents be human and accountable are more likely to stay in those relationships, rather than feel like they are responsible for their parents' behavior and feelings.

Definitely some food for thought.

More from Trending

Screenshots from @realprogressive11's TikTok video
@realprogressive11/TikTok

Rural Michigan Woman Speaks Out About 'Dystopian' Grocery Costs In Eye-Opening Video

TikToker @realprogressive11, a rural Michigan resident, is tired of dancing around the subject and is ready to call it like it is: according to her, grocery shopping has become a "dystopian" experience.

And based on other TikTokers' experiences, this isn't specific to Michigan.

Keep ReadingShow less
Andrew Rannells Just Dished On How Dating Anderson Cooper At 25 Directly Inspired 'Girls' Storyline—And Our Jaws Are On The Floor
Daily Beast/Obsessed; Gary Gershoff/Getty Images

Andrew Rannells Just Dished On How Dating Anderson Cooper At 25 Directly Inspired 'Girls' Storyline—And Our Jaws Are On The Floor

After years of speculation, the tea has finally been spilled about who inspired Elijah Krantz and Dill Harcourt's relationship.

In case you missed it, the hit TV show Girls aired for six seasons from 2012 to 2017, and followed the lives of four young women making their way through early romance and career moves in New York City.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tom Holland and Zendaya
Pablo Cuadra/WireImage/Getty Images

Tom Holland Just Confirmed The Months-Long Rumors That He And Zendaya Got Married—And His Comments Have Fans Swooning

American actor and singer Zendaya and British actor and dancer Tom Holland first met in 2016 during the screen test and casting process for their roles in the 2017 Marvel made/Sony approved movie Spider-Man: Homecoming. The pair, both born in 1996, were successful child actors transitioning into adults, but still playing teens on camera.

They became fast friends, but didn't begin dating until sometime later, even if fans thought the attraction happened much sooner. They finally confirmed their relationship in 2021.

Keep ReadingShow less
Billy Porter; Elisabeth Hasselbeck
CBS Mornings

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Is Getting Some Major Side-Eye After Making Bizarre Dig At Billy Porter During Interview

Conservative TV host Elisabeth Hasselbeck first gained public notice in 2001 as a contestant on the second season of the CBS reality show Survivor, then she furthered her fame by marrying NFL player Tim Hasselbeck the following year.

After that, she became the conservative voice on The View for a decade (2003-2013), frequently clashing with her co-hosts and garnering animosity from viewers. Portraying herself as a trad-wife while in reality being a working mother, her next stint was on Fox News' Fox & Friends from 2013 to 2015 before being replaced by Sean Hannity paramour Ainsley Earhardt.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of JD Vance and Whoopi Goldberg
Fox News; The View

JD Vance Ripped After Running To Fox News To Whine About Whoopi Goldberg Supposedly Calling Him 'Racist' On 'The View'

Vice President JD Vance was criticized after he complained on Fox News that The View moderator Whoopi Goldberg had called him a "racist" during his appearance on the program.

While on The View, Vance sidestepped a question from Goldberg about concerns that the Trump administration was marginalizing Black history and communities.

Keep ReadingShow less