What Are the Generation Names—and How Do Their Parenting Styles Differ?

Maybe your baby boomer mother-in-law asked you what the heck gentle parenting is, or maybe you’re actively trying to raise your kids differently than your own parents. Even if you haven’t had any conflicts over it, there’s no denying that parenting styles vary among generations, with boomers, Gen Xers, millennials and Gen Z all doing things slightly differently.

In some cases, this is intentional. “I was raised in a ‘because I said so’ home, where emotions weren’t really welcomed and apologies never happened,” says Trish Ware, RN, a labor and delivery nurse and mom of seven in Tennessee who’s a member of Gen X. “As a child, I often felt unseen and dismissed. Because of that, I made a choice to parent with openness, accountability and softness—without sacrificing boundaries or leadership.”

Interested in the evolution of parenting throughout the generations? Learn how the generations are defined—including generation names and years—plus how their parenting styles vary, ahead.

What Is a Generation–and How Is It Defined?

A generation is a group of people born within the same timeframe in history, usually spanning about 15 to 20 years. It’s also sometimes called a birth cohort.

Grouping people into generations gives us a way to understand them better. People are often influenced by the period in history into which they were born as well as by the peers that grew up alongside them, sharing in similar experiences. Generations are also a shorthand way of identifying where someone is in their lifecycle (a young adult versus a senior citizen, for example).

Generation Names by Birth Year

Interested in what years the different generations were born? Check out the breakdown of generation names in the chart below.

The Greatest Generation

The Greatest Generation, born between 1901 and 1927, is also sometimes called the G.I. Generation. Its members were largely born during the Progressive Era (1890s to 1920s) and the Roaring Twenties, times of major cultural and political change in the US. Their parents were mainly from the Lost Generation (born between 1883 and 1900), who came of age and started families during World War I.

The Silent Generation

The Silent Generation (1928-1945) was born during a significantly challenging period of US history, when the country went through the Great Depression of the 1930s and the upheaval of World War II in the 1940s. They’re called The Silent Generation because their experiences growing up during times of war, poverty and uncertainty led them to be less outspoken and more accepting of the status quo than people of other generations.

What were the hallmarks of the parenting styles of these early generations?

The Greatest and Silent generations raised children during eras defined by war, scarcity and conformity, says Bob Hutchins, MSc, author and CEO at Human Voice Media, and their parenting reflected this experience: “It was duty-driven, hierarchical and often emotionally reserved,” he says. Children were meant to be seen, not heard. It was very much a traditional approach to parenting, prioritizing obedience, respect and authority.

Baby Boomers

The baby boom generation (1946-1964), often called baby boomers or simply boomers, were born during a period of growth in the US. After World War II ended, married couples were focused on having families, earning money, and working hard to bring stability and prosperity back to the country. These couples gave birth in record numbers to kids during formative events like the Cuban Missile Crisis, the first moon landing, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. At the same time, they were the first generation to commonly have TVs in their homes—giving them a front-row seat to history.

What are the hallmarks of parenting styles of this generation?

In contrast to the authoritarianism of the Greatest and Silent generations, baby boomers made their parenting a bit more child-centric. They were heavily influenced by parenting books by celebrity doctors like Benjamin Spock, widely known as Dr. Spock, says Hutchins, and introduced concepts like “quality time” with their kids. Millions read Dr. Spock’s book The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care.

Still, most of them weren’t total free spirits: “Baby boomer parents often emphasized discipline, structure and achievement,” says Caroline Fenkel, DSW, LCSW, chief clinical officer and co-founder at Charlie Health. “Their approach was more top-down, with an emphasis on obedience and traditional success markers.”

Baby boomers were also the first generation to act as helicopter parents, who hover over their kids’ every move and rescue them from uncomfortable or disappointing situations. Although the intent was to be helpful, it often stymied the emotional resilience of their kids, creating an anxious generation of millennials.

Gen X

Gen X, born between 1965 and 1980, is sometimes called the “forgotten generation” or “sandwich generation,” because they’re a smaller group stuck in the middle of the attention-grabbing baby boomers and millennials. Gen X is sometimes called the “latchkey generation,” reflecting the fact that they came of age when both parents were commonly working outside the house and divorce rates were rising. Their childhoods were marked by historic events like the Watergate scandal, the Cold War and the Vietnam War. Their parents are from the Silent and baby boomer generations.

What are the hallmarks of parenting styles of this generation?

Gen Xers are, for the most part, parents focused on independence and resilience, but they also maintain a deep emotional connection to their kids. Many Gen X kids grew up with rigid or emotionally distant parents, and had to figure things out for themselves, Fenkel says.

Ware says being part of Gen X gave her grit, independence and the ability to adapt—qualities that deeply shaped how she shows up as a mom. “We were the original latchkey kids, so I wanted to parent with more presence, more emotional connection and a whole lot more conversation,” she says.

Leticia Barr, a parenting and education expert at Brainly and mom of two, calls herself a “proud” member of Gen X, and says growing up with an emphasis on independence, resilience and adaptability has influenced her parenting. She also says her generation has a unique relationship with technology. “I witnessed the transition from analog to digital firsthand,” she says. “This unique perspective has made me especially mindful of how technology can be both a tool and a challenge for families. Looking back on parenting my now college-age kids, I always strived to foster open communication, digital literacy and emotional intelligence, while setting healthy boundaries around technology use.”

Like baby boomers, Gen X parents have sometimes been criticized for being too involved. Labeled “stealth-fighter parents,” some have leveled up helicopter parenting to become highly protective of their kids, intervening—often aggressively—to help them succeed.

Millennials

Millennials, sometimes called Generation Y, were born between 1981 and 1996, when computer and internet technology was beginning to expand. Many millennials don’t remember a time without a home computer or access to the internet (even if it was only AOL Chat Rooms in the beginning). They were kids during several memorable presidencies, including Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as significant events like the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Gulf War and the September 11 terrorist attacks. Most of their parents are boomers.

What are the hallmarks of parenting styles of this generation?

If Gen X was all about independence and resilience, then millennial parents are defined by their focus on emotional intelligence.

“[Millennial parents] prioritize mental health, open dialogue and personalized support,” says Fenkel. “Many are parenting with a deep awareness of trauma, stress and identity, [and are] more likely to seek therapy, educate themselves on neurodiversity and talk openly about emotions with their kids.” Millennials are also more likely to apologize to their kids.

Jenna F., a millennial mom of three from Pennsylvania, says she takes her kids’ opinions and feelings into consideration, encourages them to share their negative feelings and tries to make them feel heard. “Just because they aren’t big people doesn’t mean they don’t have big opinions and feelings,” she says. “Those opinions and feelings are just as valid as mine.”

All this emotional intelligence mostly serves millennials well, allowing them to be more connected and collaborative in their parenting, says Hutchins. But he says it can also bring them far more anxiety, decision fatigue and performance pressure. Millennials are some of the most stressed out parents, and moms’ mental health has sharply declined in recent years.

Gen Z

Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z (sometimes called zoomers) grew up with technology and screens at their fingertips, and they’ve learned to use it to their advantage in their careers and relationships. They’re known for being collaborative and self-motivated, with more awareness of politics, social issues and mental health than some other generations. Major historical events of their childhoods include the election of Barack Obama as the first Black president, the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

What are the hallmarks of parenting styles of this generation?

Gen Z started entering the parenting world in the last 10 years or so, so we’re still figuring out what their parenting style looks like. But experts are seeing Gen Zers bring many of their generational characteristics to their parenting, prioritizing mental health, inclusivity and social awareness.

“Gen Z [is] challenging old binaries about discipline, gender roles and even what a family structure looks like,” says Hutchins. “They’re still figuring it out, but they’re doing so with a deep sense of awareness and access to more tools than ever before.”

Fenkel and Barr both agree, calling attention to Gen Z’s focus on transparency, digital technology and personal identity. Gen Z parents are also highly attuned to their children’s emotional and physical needs, using readily available information on child development to inform their parenting.

“My husband and I are big on attachment parenting—we’ve been babywearing and talking constantly to our babies since day one,” says Jeana A., a Gen Z mom of two in Virginia. “We both have some Montessori training, so we’re big into the reality that children are absorbing everything going on around them in a very real way.”

Gen Z parents are also grappling with the need to educate their kids about technology’s pervasive presence. “Avoiding screen time is most important to me because it can negatively impact [my son’s] development, especially his social-emotional growth,” says Leah P., a Gen Z mom of one in West Virginia. “I don’t want to have to use an iPad to get through a family meal or Sunday mass, [and] I like to protect his online privacy because I feel like he should get to choose what he wants shared about himself on the internet.”

Gen Alpha

Gen Alpha (2013-2024) is the first generation to grow up completely entrenched in technology, especially smartphones and social media, for better and for worse. COVID-19 has affected many of their childhoods, causing them to spend their formative school years learning from home or in classrooms with masks and other protective equipment. They’re adept at communication, but also have to deal with cyberbullying, short attention spans programmed by short-form internet content and the negative aspects of living a mostly online life.

In some ways, they’re more socially and emotionally advanced than past generations, but they’re experiencing unique challenges too. “Many [of these kids] have a strong sense of justice and empathy, which can be powerful but also emotionally overwhelming,” says Fenkel. “We’re seeing a rise in perfectionism, performance-based self-worth, and isolation, [and] social media and academic pressure are big contributors.”

To counteract these digital and IRL stressors, Gen Alpha kids need emotionally intelligent parents, Fenkel adds, who can teach them resilience and help them name, regulate and work through hard feelings. Their parents are mostly millennials, along with some older Gen Zers.

Gen Beta

Gen Beta is brand-new, with kids born in 2025 among its very first members. It’s too soon to point out any shared experiences or defining characteristics, but we can make some predictions. Even more than Gen Alpha, Gen Beta will live their lives fully connected to the digital world, and may live to see some revolutionary advancements in technology. One of the biggest looks to be the rising use of AI, which is already a hot topic of conversation and controversy.

Gen Beta’s parents will generally be millennials and Gen Zers, who’ll hopefully be able to use their own knowledge of technology to help their kids find the right balance between AI and real life. Gen Beta kids are growing up with what Barr calls “an overwhelming amount of information,” some of which isn’t age-appropriate or even truthful, a fact that’s likely to create one of the biggest challenges for their parents.

What Will the Next Generation Be?

We don’t know! Gen Beta is the star of the show until 2039, so there’s still time to find a suitable name for the next generation. It could be Generation Gamma, in keeping with the order of the Greek alphabet, or something totally different defined by the major events of the period.

Whatever the new generation name will be, its members are sure to reflect on the experiences of past generations: “Parenting is often reactive: If one generation overcorrects for control, the next swings toward more freedom,” says Hutchins. “Parents inherit [parenting styles, but also] bring memories, and their own childhood experiences often become the reference point for what not to do.”

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.