I was thinking about…Embracing My Gen X Spin on Parenting
By Andy Lee
Let my mind wander back to when my Gen X philosophies on child-rearing first took shape.
Sure, some assume we jaded middle children should fully rebel against the rigid Boomer approach that raised us. But having experienced the cold harshness behind traditional authoritarian styles, I believe there must be a better way. A way to nurture ethics and vision in our kids beyond just commands for obedience.
As the torch passed from boomers to my Gen X cohort, many of us felt committed to encouraging questioning over demanding compliance from little echoes of ourselves. Teaching kids to scrutinize systems – and better yet, reimagine broken ones – that’s the righteously rebellious ethic we hoped to impart.
Of course, establishment icons looked with suspicion at my vulnerability-based bonding with the heir apparent. They still bark about discipline above all. But legacies rooted solely in fear and pressure hardly kindle the greatness in budding spirits, do they?
My pledge as a parent became to value fresh vision over hardened convention, even when the path got bumpy. I aimed to model integrity and purpose, hoping such traits would outlast labels.
I beam now watching my 27-year-old son thrive as a graduate student, building on his own legacy of compassion and vision he cultivated over the five years he served as a youth minister. And in his independence rooted in inner purpose, I see the fruits that integrity-based Gen X nurturing can sow.
Our modes and generations fade, as they should. But in children like him, raised to author their own journeys, the essence of self-invention endures eternal. My boy, himself, now a man – still curious, questioning, evolving even now. What better badge of honor for this Gen X dad…and tomorrow’s exciting future?
Stay thoughtful, keep evolving. 🧔🏼➕👧🏻
I was thinking about... 