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Generation Gap: How To Eliminate This Term?

Parents nowadays think that their kids' clothes are too weird and their music is too loud and although the kids are speaking English, they can't understand a word. Situations like these tend to build a gap or distance between the two generations. It is necessary for parents to cross this distance by empathizing with their children, keeping in mind how much they wanted their parents to understand them when they were young and growing up. It isn’t important for parents to like or understand their kids’ choice or priority, what’s important is to make an honest effort.

There are certain aspects where parents and kids can work together to improve their relationship, one of which is communication. Communicating regularly with children can really help towards bridging the generation gap since listening and talking are essential elements to a healthy parent-child relationship. Parents should show children that they share same interests, regardless of the number of years between you. As a kid enters into adolescence, communication might become increasingly difficult. To keep the dialogue open, parents must pay close attention to their kids’ habits. If the teen tends to be quiet around the house during the week because of long days filled with school, homework and extracurricular activities, the issue shouldn’t be pushed. Parents should note the times when s/he is more open, like in the car, at the dinner table or on weekends. One should make a point of letting the kids know that you’re always available to talk, and no subject is off limits. And when the kids do come, parents should try to listen more than they speak, even if they don’t agree with the child. It is also very important for parents to understand that even though it might feel like their formative years weren’t that long ago, it’s important to accept that times have changed. One shouldn’t expect his/her child to conform to old models of thinking and being and should refrain from saying things like “Back when I was your age,” “That’s not how we used to do it” or “I just don’t understand these kids today.” It’s not a contest. The past wasn’t better; it was just different. Parents have to accept that things are the way they are and try to understand the changes rather than comparing the current days to their glory years.

Another very important effort which parents should put in is to learn and get used to today’s technology and stay current with the trends that define their kids’ generation, from slangs, music, movies, and clothes to social networking and current events. It is required so the parents can monitor their child’s online presence and help him/her make wise choices on the internet and beyond.

Parents interested in bridging the generation gap must be open to change. They must be flexible in their ideas and actions to keep up with the child’s swift moving current. If parents decide to be rigid in terms of their mind set and aren’t comfortable with any sort of change, then the gap between the parent and the child will only widen as s/he grows older. Parents should keep in mind that parenting is not something objective. What worked with one child might not work with another. One must be willing to adapt their parenting style to suit their children’s needs.