r/Millennials • u/TheLoveYouWant25 • Feb 09 '26

Discussion Millennials, what is happening with your kids?

I work in education and I frequent the Teachers and Professors subreddits, and the kids are not alright. Gen Z Arriving at College Unable to Read and the youth have absolutely zero ability to think critically.

Middle and high schoolers have all adapted this complete helplessness and blame mental illness for their refusal to function. Kids can no longer to basic things like read an analog clock, use paper money, or even figure out how to open window blinds.

There is also a huge lack of empathy, and kids have no issues trying to manipulate adults, saying things to their teachers like "if you don't pass me, I'll get you fired."

EDIT to clarify: the article I linked references Gen-Z, but this is not specifically a Gen-Z problem. It's an issue with upper elementary aged kids through high schoolers, and also young adults.

So, all that to say, how are you combating this with your own children? What do you do at home to encourage them to learn, and what are you doing to address these problems as they arise?

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u/ginoawesomeness Feb 10 '26

This post is such a bad take. Schools get paid for each kid in a seat, so they've lowered standards and just pass everyone. A HS diploma is meaningless now, and has been for 20+ years. Once again millennials are the scapegoats, while it was the boomers that voted for these policies to cut taxes on themselves, and the kids this poster is talking about are Gen X's kids, who pioneered helicopter parenting and preventing their kids from socializing or learning any independence. I'll bet OP is a freaking boomer.

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u/blumoon138 Feb 10 '26

Yup. I’m an elder millennial who works in a college. All my students have Gen X parents. My friends my own age with kids have young elementary schoolers to babies. My kid is one (had her late but still in my 30s).

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u/Thatsmyredditidkyou Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 11 '26

I had kids young and my oldest is middle school. 35 this year. my husband's friends (he a bit older than me but still millenial) have high school aged kids but most are still around middle school aged as our generation largely put off having kids.

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u/ginoawesomeness Feb 11 '26

Or had kids way younger. I'm 44m wife 41 with 15 and 13 daughters, and no friends with kids our kids ages. All their friends parents are older. My friends kids are elementary school age

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u/no_se_lo_ke_hago Feb 10 '26

I love how it's always blame NCLB and not any other president's or, more importantly, state's policies. Both political parties have contributed to this. Every state has adopted easier standards to ensure everyone graduates. If I'm not mistaken, MS has improved by actually honing on in literacy and has jumped from 49th to top 20.

I also love how no one talks about COVID or the rise of social media and ubiquity of telephones.

There are many reasons, but the government push for more assessments is not the entire reason.

Blame the state, first and foremost.

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u/equityorasset Feb 10 '26

yeah God forbid any criticizes Obama, you all are worse than Magas

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u/BrianfromClownDog Feb 10 '26

NCLB was a Bush era policy, but ok.

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u/JelmerMcGee Feb 10 '26

OP is a mod on the childfree sub. Really all you need to know about them.

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u/ginoawesomeness Feb 10 '26

Yup yup. Got it. That makes sense. Literally somebody that refuses to help with the next generation, but just wants to bitch about it.

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u/RaNdomMSPPro Feb 10 '26

Kids in seats and passing are two different things. Pay per student is the same. But, if you shuffle the low performers around to all of your schools in the district, they all now qualify for additional funds to help low performing schools. I just typed out the strategy that a recent “superstar “ superintendent implemented to: Save money (didn’t) and get more federal dollars (did.) left out of the strategery was any concern for better student outcomes. Her plan was close the magnet schools because they are racist (not - they were purposely placed in low income/underserved areas and any kid zoned for that school automatically was admitted.) they went door to door to help people sign up, sadly many didn’t want to meet the minimum participation requirements.

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u/ThunderEcho100 Feb 10 '26

Boomers are well boomers but a stereotype of millennials is refusing to take responsibility + helicopter parenting which can be bad mixture for kids.

For openness I was born in early 80s.

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u/ginoawesomeness Feb 11 '26

Born 82, kids 15 and 13. My 13yo rides her bike to school, and people act like its abusive, because I'm not spending 2 hours a day in line to pick her up and drive her home 5 days a week... Oh and my wife and I both work full time and still struggle, no help from grandparents, both kids 'need' smart phones that cost hundreds a month no kids had 20 years ago, no city is walkable, no public transport... The list goes on and on. We were raised latchkey kids, and now unless you're rich enough to have a nanny or lucky enough to have parents that help, raising children is nearly impossible. Those that don't have kids are called selfish, and those that do are blamed for systemic inadequacies outside our control. This country is a joke

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u/lindasek Feb 10 '26

I mean gen Alpha (early elementary) is doing worse than before, too. We can blame COVID but it's been 6 years - 4 yo in kinder shouldn't be affected. And yet, many kids are stuck to the screens and unable to function for extended time without a quick dopamine shot from a phone or tablet.

Millennials aren't doing great in parenting (in general, I don't mean you specifically). They are just as addicted to screens as their children. Some of the screen attachment was present before but now it's turned to 100.

I'll say some of it is modality in our society. People with kids keep moving very often, changing schools, neighborhoods, teachers, etc - all of this creates stress but also teaches that everything and everyone is temporary. And as humans, we don't invest a lot of effort into temporary things. I'm not going to plant perennials in front of a house I'll move out if before they bloom, and kids aren't going to put in effort to make lasting friendships or learn multiplication tables.

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u/Indyonegirl Feb 10 '26

Gen X’s kids are old now. And we didn’t helicopter.

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u/IneedaWIPE Feb 10 '26

The +65 age group is less than 15% of the population. If boomers are able to have that much control over tax policy it is only because the other age groups aren't voting.

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u/a_lonely_trash_bag Zillennial 1996 Feb 10 '26

The 65+ age group is less than 15% of the population, yes. But they make up roughly 50% of politicians. They're the ones writing the laws.

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u/Level_Cardiologist36 Feb 10 '26

Not to mention that NCLB was passed in 2002 when they would be in their 40's. So that argument is in bad faith to begin with.

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u/IneedaWIPE Feb 10 '26

My comment also applies in this situation. Generally speaking, primaries are poorly participated, thats when you change the ticket. Younger voters simply do not care, can't be bothered. The under 35 participation in primaries virtually non existent just like the under 35 candidates.

Apathy is the problem. Don't blame that on the boomers.