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Come on, boomers, “today’s kids” are our kids

Home » Blog » Come on, boomers, “today’s kids” are our kids
December 30, 2018 by Kelly Irvin

I can’t count the number of times over the past year I’ve heard someone start a sentence with “the younger generation today” or “today’s kids” followed by something negative. They don’t want to

Sailor home from deployment holds baby.
“Today’s kids” are members of the military who sacrifice time with their families to defend their country.

work. They’re lazy. They have short attention spans. They’re all about immediate gratification. Each time it’s so jarring, it feels like a slap in the face. Come on, boomers, didn’t we promise not to become our parents? And here we are channeling them! In 2019 I’d like to suggest we stop judging and start appreciating what our kids and grandkids are up against in this crazy, ridiculously messed up world. Let’s take responsibility for the world we’re handing to them. Here’s why we should do that:

  • These “kids” are our kids or our grandkids, depending on how old we are. We raised them. Don’t we have some responsibility for how they turned out?
  • It’s an age-based stereotype and we’re against stereotyping entire groups of people because of a few bad apples, aren’t we? We don’t believe in racism and sexism, but it’s okay to call out an entire generation based on age? Some kids are bad. Some are good. Just like old people and everyone in between.
  • Most importantly, it’s simply not true.
Erin and Shawn with "sold" sign.
Shawn and Erin juggled their finances so Erin can stay home and care for their two toddlers with another one on the way. They were so proud when they bought their first home in Chesapeake, VA.

That’s why these statements aggravates me so much. When someone says kids today are this or that, I think of my own kids. One is a married stay-at-home mom who manages to raise her family on one salary so she can be a mother to her kids. She and her husband, who’s a veteran, are college-educated homeowners. My son and his wife bought their first home when she was twenty-two. He has an excellent, good-paying job because he’s self-taught in his field. Both he and his wife work hard for what they have.

They’re my kids so naturally I’m proud of them, some would say. But I look around and I see many such “younger generation” kids. At my church, I see a couple whose kids include a physical therapist, a social worker, and an engineering student who’s taking off a year from his career path for a ministry opportunity. Another couple raised a lawyer and an engineer. One couple’s daughter is a music worship minister. Another couple has a son who raised the money himself to go on a mission trip to the far east. Their daughter just graduated from college with honors with a double major. These kids work hard to make their dreams come true in an age where education is astronomically expensive and financial aid hard to come by.

Nicholas and Gelly Irvin
Nick and Angelica “Gelly” Irvin are hard working home owners in their mid-twenties.

The comment irritates me even more when I think about the world my kids and grandkids are inheriting.  These kids are growing up post-911. Most don’t remember what it was like to fly before you had to take your shoes and belt off before you boarded the plane. They’re growing up in an era where they aren’t safe at school and or at church. And they still have ideals. They still care. They still want to make a difference. Look at the kids who survived the Parkland High School shooting. They’re fighting back as activists through the system that has failed to keep them safe. I have no interest in arguing gun control with anyone. I’m only relaying an end result of these horrific seemingly everyday occurrences. These kids haven’t given up even in the face of terrible tragedy.

I feel a deep sense of regret when I think of the legacy we’re leaving future generations in the government arena. Our political system in the United States is in shambles. We no longer understand the meaning of civil discourse, bipartisanship, or diplomacy. We think whoever shouts the loudest and spits on the most people wins. That’s some example we’re setting for “today’s kids.”

Our generation figured out how to make everything “easier” for everyone to the point that we have a disposable world. So disposable that there are floating garbage dumps in the ocean full of plastic. Our kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids must figure out how to dispose of the disposables. They have to deal with the impact of our lifestyles on the

Kids viewing turtles
Animal species disappear everyday. What will be left for the children of the future to see?

environment. Everyday more species disappear from the earth. Rhinos, mountain gorillas, elephants, giraffes—animals we take for granted may never be seen by our great-grandchildren. We leave that to our kids to figure out.Whatever we think about climate change—another topic I do not wish to debate—we know that the world is getting warming. Our children and their children will have to deal with changing weather patterns and melting arctic glaciers.

Our children live in a world that our grandparents could not have imagined. Families look different. It used to be men and women who would get married and have children. That has changed. I’m not angling for a discussion of “good and bad” or “right or wrong” here. This is a fact. It would be mind-boggling for our great-grandparents to know that it is likely that our grandchildren will have more than two genders from which to choose when they fill out forms later in their lives.

Our kids are navigating a vastly different world than we did as high school or college-age kids. We’re in no position to judge. We don’t want to recycle. It’s too much trouble. We don’t want to vote. Our vote doesn’t count. We don’t want to go to church. Sunday’s our only day to sleep in. We don’t want to have family dinners. We don’t have time. We don’t want to have family game night. “The Bachelor” is on TV. But somehow we get satisfaction from judging the kids who are a product of our choices.

Little girl jumping
Let’s work together to make this a better world for our grandkids and their kids.

A new year is around the corner. I humbly suggest that we resolve in 2019 to stop judging the younger generation and appreciate how creative they are, how idealistic, how compassionate, how tough, how smart, and how wonderful they are. They have to be in order to live in the world we’re leaving them. Let’s resolve in the time we have left on this earth to work together with them to make this a better place for the kids of tomorrow.

Tell me about the kids in your life who are doing great things in the comments below. Let’s celebrate them!

Category: BlogTag: 911, boomers, climate change, disposables, environment, gender, grandparents, kids, parents, Parkland High School shooting, post-911, stereotypes
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Comments

  1. Barbara

    December 31, 2018 at 5:40 am

    What you have said is so true. I am a proud grandmother of 15 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. My deepest desire is that they will make Jesus Christ the center of their life and follow Him wherever He leads them. I pray for them daily. And pray for our nation that our leaders will turn their hearts back to God and lead us on the path that He wants for us.
    God bless our homes and our nation
    Barbara

    Reply
    • Kelly Irvin

      December 31, 2018 at 1:57 pm

      Well said, Barbara. Praying also.

      Reply
  2. Dana Michael

    December 31, 2018 at 8:14 am

    I enjoyed your article.I think my kids are pretty cool too. I have 3 sons. My oldest has a degree in business and masters in accounting. He has a great job and is a homeowner. My middle son has a degree in marketing and a masters in accounting. He works at FedEx in advertising. Did yall see the commercial with the little girl who lost her turtle? He had a hand in that. My baby boy has a degree in accounting, masters in accounting and is a CPA. So, yeah, I am proud of those little boogers. Btw, the youngest two are married to beautiful young ladies who are college educated and have great careers as well. (The oldest one is available ladies. Lol!)

    Reply
    • Kelly Irvin

      December 31, 2018 at 1:57 pm

      They sound wonderful, Dana! I love the commercial! I can see why you’re so proud!

      Reply
  3. Christine KEYSER-FANICK

    January 4, 2019 at 11:57 pm

    We, too, are proud of the young men that our sons have become. At age 32, Bryan is a major in the U.S. Air Force who graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in aerospace engineering. His wife, Jessica, is a former high school biology teacher who now stays at home to nuture their two children, while working on her master’s degree so that she can serve children in need of special support. She is working hard to finish her master’s degree before they welcome a third child in March. Bryan serves are country with uncompromising strength and dedication. Our son, Christopher, is a senior at Trinity University and will graduate with a double major in May. His next step is law school. After that, he aims to be in a life of public service. Kelly, I agree with your messages above, and your points were good reminders to me as a reframe my outlook to return to high school teaching in just a couple of days, after a much-needed break. Thanks for your insight and for sharing these thoughts!

    Reply
    • Kelly Irvin

      January 28, 2019 at 3:07 pm

      You have so much to be proud of, Christine. What great sons!

      Reply

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