3 Unique Problems of Millennial Mums – SOLVED!

Last updated on March 27th, 2022 at 09:33 pm

There are approximately 9 million Millennial Mums in the world, making up 22% of the Mums in total today. With the generational gap wider than ever before, what are the unique problems that Millennial Mums face? How do our new parenting techniques, technological era, and current political climate shape our experience as parents?

1. You Were Raised by a Boomer

As Millenial Mums, one of the most significant problems we’ll face is the wildly different views on parenting that we have in comparison to our Mothers, In-Laws, and Elders. It can be incredibly tough trying to raise your baby in a family full of people who disagree with your every move!

Whether it’s that they think baby-led weaning is a ridiculous practice, or they’re adamant that you should leave your baby to cry – despite you believing in more gentle methods. Feeling unsupported in your Mothering, or facing frequent criticism can leave you full of doubt and even cause you to fold under the pressure. Which will lead you to parent in a way you’re not comfortable with.

There’s also the fact that some of the parenting practices they used on you may still having repercussions today.

Maybe you were raised in a household where you’re feelings were frequently dismissed, and now you find yourself reverting to that style of parenting as a reflex.

This article, How to Break the Cycle of Generational Trauma, lists some good tips for undoing the damage of flawed parents.

2. We’re the Generation of Unmarried Mums

Millennial Mums are twice as likely to be single, never married, and not living with a partner. They’re also contributing to the household finances more than any generation before them.

Therefore, it seems that Millennial Mums are very much straddling the traditional roles of Mother and Father. In some cases that’s going to mean added pressure and added stress for the Mothers who are spinning multiple plates day-in and day-out.

Perhaps it’s more important than ever for today’s Mums to take a break. Asking for help, reaching out for support, and implementing self-care are crucial to ensuring Millennial Mums don’t suffer from burnout.

3. The Instagram Mum Effect

How could we honestly talk about Millennial problems without adding Social Media to the mix? The many Insta-Mum accounts out there can be valuable sources of information and inspiration – but, they can also have a negative effect.

Comparing yourself to other Mothers who have more, or do ‘more’ than you can be damaging to your self-esteem.

You could be feeling pretty OK, but then you open your phone for a bit of scrolling, and what do you see? Glamorous Mamas with pristine houses. Serving fruit cut into elaborate shapes, and setting up complicated DIY educational toy set-ups in the most beautiful and expensive-looking playroom you’ve ever seen!

Meanwhile – your house looks like a crime scene. And your attempt to cut a kiwi into the shape of a star came out laughable.

The important thing to remember is that things on Instagram are hardly ever what they seem. In front of the camera might look like perfection, but behind it is probably another story entirely.

A lot of time and effort goes into Influencers’ posts – it’s their job, not their everyday reality. Motherhood is messy, childhood is messy. It’s also tiring and tough and a lot of the time NOT glamorous AT ALL.

Don’t compare yourself to an unrealistic snapshot of a stranger’s day.

But We’re Proud to be Millennial Mums

There are a lot of ways that Millennial Mums are getting things right. We have unprecedented access to a wealth of baby information on the internet, meaning that from the get-go we’re one of the most clued-up generations of Mothers. We know what we’re doing, and why we’re doing it.

Whether the Boomers support us or not, change is progress! We’re making efforts to raise healthy, loved, and understood kids. Our children will grow up in a world that’s certainly more racially aware and LGBTQ+ inclusive than the one we grew up in.

Strong, capable, and enlightened, although we face unique problems as Millennial Mothers, you better believe we will elegantly rise to the challenge.