Life
9 Totally Satisfying Experiences Only A Millennial Mom Will Understand
Millennials are probably the most misunderstood demographic, yet arguably the most dissected. There are countless think pieces about who we are, what we are doing, and what we are “ruining." So, honestly, I think it's time more attention be paid to the awesome sides of being a millennial, especially a millennial parent. And so, I want to present to you some of the most satisfying experiences only a millennial mom would understand. It's not all narcissism and avocado toast, people.
For those unfamiliar with the term, millennials are those born between the early 80s and the mid- to late-90s. And for those of you unfamiliar with history, so much has changed in that brief period if tune, especially when it comes to technological advancements. So it might be a little difficult for an “older millennial” mom to understand why “younger millennial” moms are so into Pinterest and Instagram or freebirthing in the hills of Costa Rica.
Even so, I think we all have an appreciation of certain facets of technology, as well as a love of things from our childhoods. And we’re very capable of sharing the aforementioned with our own kids now, too, which is pretty awesome. So with that in mind, here’s what I, an older-to-mid-level millennial, think most of us would totally appreciate when it comes to our parenting experience.
When Your Kid Loves The Same Cartoons You Did
My husband and I take turns introducing our son to some of our favorite cartoons from back in the day. For me, it’s shows like Sailor Moon and Reading Rainbow. For my husband, it’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And every single time our kid gets super into it, we both feel an undeniable feeling of accomplishment.
When Your Kid Knows The Words To Your Favorite Throwback Songs
I must confess my biggest proud mommy moment, to date, is hearing my son belt out, “Up the Casbah! Up the Casbah!” Technically, it’s “Rock the Casbah” (by the Clash), and technically that song was released a couple years before I was even born. Still, it was a song I heard frequently growing up and I am so happy and proud to have my kiddo singing it, too.
When You Dress Your Kid In "Retro" Outfits
Fashionable '80s and '90s trends have been back in style for a while now. So yes, I am totally cool with my son rocking a Nirvana t-shirt and some flannels, '90s style.
When Your Kid Takes A Selfie By Themselves
Selfies have existed in some form or other for ages, they were just called self-portraits. Our affinity for shortening words aside, us millennials definitely indulge in selfies more than most previous generations (because, hey, we have cameras on us at all times). As a result, our kids are growing up in a culture that normalizes and embraces self-love via a photograph or seven. And I’ll be damned if my 3-year-old son isn’t already totally owning his selfie game.
When Your Kid Wants To Spend A Day Doing Anything Non-Tech Related
As millennial parents, we know our kids are being exposed to, and often even indulging in, screen time more than any other generation before them. And hey, we’re not entirely against it, really. That said, it’s really refreshing when our children decide they want to spend the whole day working on craft projects or hiking around the woods or anything other than spacing out to YouTube (which you should be cautious about, anyway).
When You Nail A Mom & Kid Snapchat-Filtered Selfie
I don’t Snapchat much myself, but that doesn’t mean I don’t totally appreciate a good Snap filter. My son and I started using these randomly about a year ago, and I have to say, it truly felt like a bonding experience. We had a blast looking like bumble bees and '60s rock stars and whatever other odd filer the powers that be created. My husband (who is from that gap between Generation X and Older Millennials) even got in on the action because, guess what? It’s fun!
When You Can Describe Your Struggles Via Gif Text
Whenever I chat with my close mom friends, there’s never something that I want to tell them that can’t be best said through a gif or some other outlandish meme. OK, maybe not everything, but definitely plenty. Booger-filled kid? There’s a gif for that. Toddler tantrum? Plenty of memes for that. You get the idea.
When Your Phone Survives A Toss From Your Child
It’s a problem our parents and grandparents never had to deal with. But these days, if you have a kid, you know you’re going to end up having your phone dropped, thrown, or otherwise doused in something at some point. And that’s when you breathe a sigh of relief that you sprung for the slightly more expensive phone case.
When You Finally Make A Baby Photo Album
I don't know a single millennial mom that doesn't have a ridiculous amount of photos of her kid. That doesn't make a millennial mom different from any other mom, of course. I had a ton of photo albums filled with pictures of me as a child. But I have exactly zero photo albums of my son. Oh no, instead I am the proud owner of over 100GB of photos and videos of him. Someday, I will actually print photos and make an album. And I know that will be a truly satisfying moment in millennial motherhood.
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