As a parent, it’s natural to imagine the incredible adventures that lie ahead for your child.
With no baggage or roads involved, they have many options to choose from.
And with so many career paths there is no question that if you grow up without choosing that path, it’s hard not to dream big for your offspring: Maybe they’ll be an athlete, or an astronaut, or an AI founder. a company that doesn’t exist yet.
But in fact, instead of dreaming that their child will become the next Jeff Bezos or Oprah Winfrey, parents today think that happiness is more important, according to new research.
As millennials step into the roles of mother and father, Beano Brain, an insight consultancy from London-based Beano Studios, has documented a generational shift in parenting ethos when raising their children.
The one-year study is based on more than 200 hours of face-to-face interviews and a survey of 2,000 parents—all published in a white paper. Raising Gen Alpha—researcher found that 81% of millennials think their children are more important than “success”.
In fact, an army of parents aged 27 to 40 are sacrificing their own careers to raise happy children.
Happiness is a career goal
The study says that millennials typically experience “helicopter parenting” growing up—essentially, parents who hover above and try to control and perfect aspects of their lives.
So now as parents themselves, millennials are deliberately rejecting the classic career ladder expectations often placed on children.
Instead, millennial parents prioritize child satisfaction, including by pushing back against traditional views on education and celebrating individuality.
According to the research, 87% of millennial parents encourage their children to stand up for themselves and 83% nurture their children’s individuality, while 57% agree that schools are not preparing their children to be future citizens.
The report also adds that the focus on well-being—which is rated higher than getting a good education—has risen post-pandemic in the UK and the US.
“Previously despised occupations such as supermarket workers and garbage operators are gaining a lot of exposure and respect, forcing the world to recognize their invaluable contribution to society, and to reevaluate their views on education, careers and the importance of happiness and health,” the report said. said.
This helps explain why more and more parents are not pushing their kids to get a college degree, with only 12% of millennial parents saying they want their kids to go to university. In comparison, 38% of the UK’s 18-year-old population is currently at university.
As a result, the report predicts that when Gen A kids (those born after 2010) grow up, they will find jobs that allow them to explore their passion as a primary source of income or juggle the traditional role of making money with passion. side hustle.
“Finding and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is not only desired by Gen A adults but is sought and may be desired,” the report added.
Parenting: The most important task
For 87% of millennial parents surveyed, parenting is their most important job and they take that role seriously, and sometimes instead of, their next career move.
According to the report, “millennial parents are professional parents like no previous generation.”
Parents are now planning their careers around having children to create a suitable nest, including waiting until they are financially stable.
More than a third of millennial parents are actively planning and researching the best time to have children, often waiting until they are financially stable, achieve their career goals, and get married.
In comparison, only a quarter of Gen X parents feel the same way. This statistic increases to 40% in Gen Z, showing that the younger generation plans to become parents to fit their lives.
This mentality may explain why they prefer to relax in their careers and commit to parenthood.
Being emotional is now more important than ever with 77% of millennial parents prioritizing time with their children over their careers—and US parents don’t feel like they get enough family time.
When asked if they wanted to spend more time with their children, 47% of American respondents strongly agreed, compared to 39% of Britons.
The gender gap
In order to focus more on spending time with and raising children, millennial mothers are more likely than fathers (59% vs. 49%) to drop their careers or give less attention to work.
And even though millennial dads want to be more current than previous generations, the reality is that’s not the case.
According to the report, half of millennial dads surveyed said they pay less attention to work compared to 37% of Gen X dads, but are no more likely than Gen X dads to actually prioritize physical time with their children. -children instead of career.
“However, it is the most educated and successful generation of women who choose to step back from the career ladder and make the necessary adjustments and sacrifices to focus on raising children who are happy to be present and available at certain times,” he said. report warns.
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