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

Francois Arnaud; Miley Cyrus
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

'Heated Rivalry' Star Has Cheeky Reaction After Miley Cyrus Says She Wants To Do Music For Season 2

The HBO Max series Heated Rivalry is pretty much THE break-out TV hit of the past several months, so no wonder singer Miley Cyrus says she's "so in" on collaborating on season two.

But one of the stars of the show, François Arnaud, doesn't seem so sure it's quite the right fit.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mark Kelly; Pete Hegseth
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Mark Kelly Rips Pete Hegseth After Pentagon Moves To Cut His Pension And Demote Him Over Video About Illegal Orders

Senator Mark Kelly, who flew combat missions during the Gulf War in the U.S. Navy before being selected as a NASA Space Shuttle pilot, blasted MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, for his part in the latest Trump administration attempt to lash out at their political rivals.

Hegseth previously demanded the Navy provide punishment recommendations to the Pentagon's Office of General Counsel for the retired Captain, who flew 39 combat missions during the Gulf War before going to space four times for NASA.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tucker Carlson Dragged After Offering Truly Bonkers Theory For Why Trump Captured Nicolás Maduro

Tucker Carlson Dragged After Offering Truly Bonkers Theory For Why Trump Captured Nicolás Maduro

Former Fox News host turned far-right podcaster Tucker Carlson raised eyebrows after he claimed that President Donald Trump captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in order to bring same-sex marriage to the people of a country now in a dangerous state of flux after the U.S. invaded.

Weirdly, he claimed “pro-gay forces” were secretly driving regime change, pointing to Nobel Peace Prize recipient and opposition leader María Corina Machado's support for same-sex marriage. He suggested this is proof that "globo homo," his term for progressive liberal elites, are hard at work.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jimmy Kimmel; Donald Trump
Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association; Win McNamee/Getty Images

Jimmy Kimmel Thanks Trump After Winning Critics Choice Award In A Roast For The Ages

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel mockingly thanked President Donald Trump when he took home the Critics Choice Award on Sunday for Best Talk Show, suggesting Trump helped him win the honor in part because of 'all the many ridiculous things you do each and every day."

Kimmel's remarks were considerably pointed considering the role Trump played in pulling Kimmel off the air this past autumn.

Keep ReadingShow less
Groom placing wedding ring on bride's finger
Photo by Jeongim Kwon on Unsplash

Married People Explain How Often They Take Their Wedding Ring Off

When two people get married, there's an assumption that others tend to make: that the couple will wear their wedding rings no matter what, and if they don't, it's a sign of a troubled marriage and a lack of commitment.

But there are lots of reasons not to wear wedding rings full-time, from cleanliness to safety to health concerns.

Keep ReadingShow less