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.

Make us preferred on Google

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

Dax Shepard; Olivia Wilde
Armchair Expert with Dax Sherpard/YouTube

Olivia Wilde Just Corrected Dax Shepard For Pronouncing Her Real Last Name Wrong—And We Had No Idea

Names are a deeply personal part of each person's identity, and it stands to reason that names would carry emotional and professional weight for an actor.

While some stick with their given name, some actors use a stage name that's important to them, or they invent something entirely new that they hope will become a household name someday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mark Pocan; Russell Vought
C-SPAN

Dem Rep. Bluntly Hits Trump Official With His Own Past Words After He Claims Being Called A 'Christian Nationalist' Is 'Slander'

In a contentious back and forth between Wisconsin Democratic Representative Mark Pocan and the Trump administration's Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, Representative Pocan caught Vought out with his own words.

During a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Vought refused to answer direct questions, disputed findings from studies he admitted to having never read, and spouted rehearsed, repetitive right-wing rhetoric to duck Representative Pocan's questions about USAID cuts that led to deaths involving children.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mike Lee
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

MAGA Senator Dragged After Griping About Supreme Court's Birthright Citizenship Ruling With Idiotic Hypothetical Question

Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee was criticized after sharing his displeasure over the Supreme Court's ruling this week upholding birthright citizenship by asking a nonsensical hypothetical question about a woman giving birth in court.

Birthright citizenship is a legal concept that grants citizenship automatically at birth. It exists in two forms: ancestry-based citizenship and birthplace-based citizenship. The latter, known as jus soli, a Latin term meaning "right of the soil," grants citizenship based on the location of birth.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elliot Page attends "A Deeper Love: The Story Of Miss Peppermint" Premiere.
Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

Elliot Page Just Showed Off His Incredibly Ripped Abs—And Fans Are Understandably Impressed

Elliot Page just reminded everyone that boxing workouts are no joke.

The actor sparked a wave of reactions online after posting a shirtless photo that showcased a remarkably sculpted physique. Page shared the image as part of a June 29 update about his growing love of boxing, but fans quickly found themselves focused on something else entirely.

Keep ReadingShow less
John Cena
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

John Cena Reveals His Shaved Head After Undergoing 2nd Hair Transplant—And People Are Kinda Into It

Some people may not be able to see him, but the people who can see John Cena agree that his new look is pretty cool.

Former pro wrestler and now actor John Cena has been pretty open about his journey with hair loss, which is a subject that most still shy away from due to shame and embarrassment.

Keep ReadingShow less