If you ask a grandparent how parenting has changed, they’ll have a lot to tell you. Today’s “woke” parents are doing things so differently that it’s driving the older crowd crazy. These are things that older generations would never even imagine would be up for debate, like saying that winning a game is too aggressive. Yes, really. Here are 19 reasons Older Generations can’t stand the way “woke” parents raise their kids.
Skipping Gendered Toys Entirely
Your dad walks into a modern toy store and sees a doll next to a dump truck, as there are no “boys” or “girls” aisles. Woke parents just grab what interests the kid, but to older people, it feels like erasing the rules of playtime, as they remember buying G.I. Joes for boys and My Little Pony for girls. Now, it’s all wooden rainbows and neutral color palettes, as well as toys made out of recycled oat milk cartons.
Renaming Holidays at School
Nothing gets Grandpa grumbling like finding out Halloween is now “Costume Celebration Day.” It makes woke parents think they’re being more inclusive, but it makes older people annoyed that their grandkids can’t just bob for apples and move on. It’s even worse when it’s for religious holidays, like changing Christmas break to “Winter Break.”
Letting Kids Call Adults By Their First Names
It used to be Mr. Thompson, now it’s just Brian, and many older people can’t wrap their heads around a five-year-old casually talking to an adult like they’re coworkers. To woke parents, doing so builds trust, but to older people, it’s a sign that respect has gone out the window. These days, preschoolers are on a first-name basis with their pediatrician and the mailman. It’s just so confusing for older people.
Avoiding the Word “No”
Back then? You were told “no,” and that was that, but these days, some parents say things like “Let’s make a safer choice” or “Hmm, not right now.” The older generations can’t understand it. It sounds like the kids are in charge and the parents are just watching. Grandpa once told his own kids no while reversing out of the driveway, but now it’s a whole conversation before anyone’s allowed to say, “Don’t lick the doorknob.”
Changing Classic Storybooks
Woke parents sometimes skip parts in old stories because they say they’re outdated or insensitive. For example, The Little Engine That Could have been rewritten so the engine runs on “ethical optimism.” Yeah, really. For older people, changing classic stories like this feels like tearing pages out of the Bible, and they’d prefer for woke parents to keep the stories as they once were.
Letting Kids Pick Their Bedtime
In the past, once the clock hit 8, you were in bed, end of story. But in woke households, it’s more of a team discussion, with questions like “How’s your body feeling?” and “Do you need more winding down time?” Grandparents across the country don’t understand why a six-year-old has a say in anything involving pajamas, nor why bedtime has to involve mood lighting and sound machines.
Teaching Consent Before Age 5
Grandma offers a hug, and the toddler says, “No thank you.” Woke parents often teach that even small kids get to decide who touches them, even for things like hugs, because it’s not rude in their eyes. But to older generations, it’s borderline offensive because they didn’t raise their kids to reject a grandparent’s affection. They’re stuck asking preschoolers for permission to give a kiss on the forehead.
Using “They/Them” For One Child
Older people grew up with two pronouns to talk about individual people. They were he and she. Anything beyond that feels way too confusing for them, and they really don’t understand why some woke parents use they/them to talk about one child. Woke parents encourage it early, saying it helps the kid feel seen, at the expense of confusing everybody else.
Letting Kids Choose Their Own Labels
But that’s not all for labels, as you’ll hear modern six-year-olds use terms like “non-binary” or “neurodivergent” to describe themselves. Older generations aren’t sure when these labels became part of early childhood, because to them, it sounds like kids are being told to define themselves before they’ve even figured out their favorite cereal. They don’t necessarily have a problem with these things, they just feel that woke parents are labeling their kids too fast.
Turning Every Emotion Into a Teaching Moment
Whenever a kid makes a mistake, like dropping a plate of food, woke parents avoid wiping it up and will instead say something like, “Let’s talk about your frustration.” Meanwhile, the kid is still crying. Older generations don’t get the need for a full therapy session over noodles, because back in their day, you cried and were told to get over it. Now there’s a six-step process, including a feelings wheel and a breathwork app to work through.
Removing Winners and Losers from Games
Learning to lose is part of the point of playing games. But not to woke parents. These days, everyone claps, and every kid gets a ribbon, which drives older generations nuts. They feel like parents are watering everything down just to avoid hurting feelings, and they don’t understand why a child who didn’t even finish the race still gets praised. It feels like real competition is being erased.
Banning Certain Cartoons or Characters
Older people can’t stand banning particular kids’ cartoons because they don’t think they’re serious business. They remember watching Tom and Jerry without anyone panicking about violence or stereotypes. Now, parents are saying Peter Pan is harmful and Paw Patrol is political, which sounds utterly ridiculous to them. Why do so many childhood shows suddenly need warnings? Woke parents overthink everything.
Encouraging Kids to Correct Adults
Boomers don’t want to be corrected by a second grader during Thanksgiving dinner, mostly because they were taught to never interrupt other people, especially not an adult. They hate feeling they’re being policed by people who still sleep with night lights, and they don’t know how to respond to younger people without feeling awkward. Nobody wants to feel like they’re walking on eggshells in their own homes.
Skipping Punishment Altogether
No grounding and no time-out, just promises of working together to solve the problem. Some woke parents treat tantrums like they’re acceptable, and to older people, this all feels a bit like giving up. They’re unsure whether the woke parents are going to talk the tantrum out of their kid, or actually parent them. Can you blame them? Parenting with no punishment is not parenting at all.
Giving Kids Full Voting Power in Family Decisions
Older generations can’t stand giving kids the power to influence family decisions because, to them, it ruins the whole idea of parental authority. Letting a four-year-old vote on what’s for dinner or what chores get done feels absurd. Older generations are used to parents making decisions, rather than negotiating with someone who still needs help tying their shoes. It turns those quick, adult decisions into long family meetings with stickers and feeling charts.
Teaching Toddlers About Privilege
Grandparents don’t understand why a three-year-old needs a bookshelf full of social justice concepts. They think it’s too much, too fast, as they remember the days of reading simple stories about animals and snacks. Older generations argue that such behavior is just modern parents trying to turn toddlers into activists. How about we teach kids to write their own names first?
Not Correcting “Rude” Table Behavior
For many older people, teaching your kids proper manners is just as important as learning to read and write. Yet many woke parents refuse to correct rude table behavior because they think their kids should do as they please. Older generations were raised on strict table rules, and they passed those rules down. But now? Well, they have to watch kids sculpt mashed potatoes like Play-Doh because it’s a “sensory moment” or form of self-expression.
Making Playdates About Feelings
Boomers and Gen Xers don’t get why everything has to turn into a therapy session. They remember when kids used to run around and get into little arguments, which is a far cry from the “circle of reflection” that woke parents love to have. Of course, older generations aren’t against kids expressing themselves. However, they believe making every playdate include conversations about emotions is far too excessive. They want kids to have fun.
Taking Kids to Protests
It’s no secret that older generations think childhood is supposed to be simple. Play, snacks, naps, that’s it. So seeing a three-year-old in a march about climate change or equality makes them feel like things have gone too far. To them, young kids should be kept out of divisive public spaces, not handed slogans and foam-board messages. It’s not a kid’s job to carry these things.
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