5 Tips On Parenting Generation Alpha

By Rumki Chowdhury

@rumkitheauthor

“No.” “Never.” “You’re too young to understand.” Or… the simple death stare, followed by silence. That’s what most of us, millennials, grew up with. Our parents almost never had to explain themselves because we rarely asked the question, “Why?”

As a millennial ma or baba, we can say, “No,” but our children will ask us to explain further. We can try the death stare, but our children will return it with their own.

My children sometimes ask me “why” after “why” after “why.” The same questions may even come up throughout the week, weeks or months. This is a rewarding experience, which develops our parent-child communication, thereby strengthening our parent-child relationship.

Here are Five tips on parenting Generation Alpha:

1. Relate back to Your Own Childhood: Even if your child’s experience is different from the ones you had growing up, you will always find some way to relate back to them. Drama with friends, for example, starts as early as kindergarten! I share my own experiences and end it with, “You only need ONE really good friend. The rest will come later.”
2. Become a Spokesperson for Individualism: Standing out is cool in the 21st century, but the peer pressure to fit in seems unavoidable. My oldest daughter is 8-years-old and her closest friends have had cell phones from a younger age. Some are allowed to have social media. “Why am I not allowed?” she asks. “There are predators out there. I want to keep you safe as long as I can.” Not to mention, she doesn’t need a phone because I teach older kids at the same school she attends! I tell her, “You don’t have to be like the others. You are YOU. Stay YOU.” She genuinely replies, “I know.”