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

Ramy Youssef and Elmo
@sesamestreet/Instagram

MAGA Is Predictably Melting Down Over Video Of Elmo Learning New Arabic Words For Arab American Heritage Month

A clip released by Sesame Street on Thursday, April 16, showed Elmo with Egyptian-American actor, comedian, producer, director, and Golden Globe winner Ramy Youssef to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month.

The 41-second video showed Youssef teaching Elmo the Arabic words "salamu alaykum" and "habibi."

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy Sinatra; Donald Trump
Jim Spellman/WireImage; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Nancy Sinatra Fires Back At Trump With Four Powerful Words After He Uses Her Father's Song In Cryptic Post

Singer Nancy Sinatra, the daughter of the iconic crooner Frank Sinatra, criticized President Donald Trump after he posted a video featuring her father's version of the song "My Way" to Truth Social amid his ongoing war and negotiations with Iran.

"My Way," a song about an individual looking back on their decision to live life on their own terms, was one of the late Sinatra's signature hits. Trump posted a video of Sinatra singing the song with no comment or explanation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Pete Buttigieg; Donald Trump
@Acyn/X; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Pete Buttigieg Explains Why Trump's AI Jesus Post Was So Offensive To Christian Conservatives In Viral Video

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg condemned President Donald Trump for posting an AI-generated post depicting himself as Jesus Christ, describing it as "insulting" to both people's faith and their intelligence.

Earlier this month, the Pope criticized Trump's widely unpopular war in Iran and called on the world "to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate and is not resolving anything."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
@atrupar/X

Trump Dragged After Gushing Over His Own Signature In Ultra-Cringey Viral Clip

President Donald Trump was super proud of himself after he signed an executive order to make certain psychedelic drugs more available to treat mental health conditions, taking an opportunity to boast about his own signature.

Trump's order approves $50 million in federal funding to expand access to certain therapies and directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fast-track its review of drugs like psilocybin and ibogaine. He was joined by the likes of podcaster Joe Rogan and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Oval Office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charlize Theron (left) responds to Timothée Chalamet’s (right) controversial comments about ballet and opera.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Charlize Theron Gives Timothée Chalamet A Blunt Reality Check About His Future After His Comments Insulting Ballet

Timothée Chalamet declaring that “no one cares” about ballet and opera was always going to age poorly. It just happened faster than expected.

Enter Charlize Theron, who didn’t just disagree—she flipped the whole argument, suggesting that while centuries-old art forms will endure, Chalamet’s own career may be far more vulnerable in the age of artificial intelligence.

Keep ReadingShow less