Parenting through the generations: How a parent’s upbringing affects how they raise their own children

The children of Generation Z have been the subjects of a dramatic shift in parenting style within the past 20 years; when juxtaposed with how their parents grew up, the way Gen Z has been raised is almost completely unrecognizable to that of previous generations. Many experts today attribute the shift in parenting style to technology and increased access to information. While this may be true, many teenagers feel that their parents are overstepping boundaries and invading their privacy.

DGS parent George Tomecki recounts his experience as a child raised by two immigrants during the eighties and nineties.

“My parents came here from Poland with not a dollar in their pocket or knowing a word of English. They worked, put food on the table, and provided for the day to day necessities but there was no talking about emotions and they never took what we thought or wanted into consideration. They were more dictator with corporal punishment,” Tomecki said.

When comparing his childhood to how he parents his own children, Tomecki believes that his parenting style is the opposite of his parents. He also detailed how he has utilized technology within his parenting.

“I would describe my style as authoritative parenting which is the idea that it is better to allow children to struggle through and make mistakes. I have tried to utilize technology as a tool to help our lives,” Tomecki said.

Junior Skyler Tomecki shared her thoughts on her parents’ use of technology when parenting.

“My parents are a family that uses Life 360 and they definitely rely on technology to communicate and track where I’m going. It’s not necessarily due to a lack of trust; I think they are just very nervous and want to make sure I’m okay. I think sometimes it can be an invasion of privacy but I know it’s just because they want me to be safe,” Tomecki said.

DGS social studies teacher Tracy Culcasi vocalizes if she believes parents are effectively setting their children up for success based on her observations over the course of her teaching career.

“I think parents today are trying to prepare their children as best they can for success in the future, but the world is rapidly changing and the skills that students need to be successful are changing too. I think that parents today are much more hands-on than they were in previous generations,” Culcasi said.

As the modern parent continues to be more hands-on, it seems there is a delicate balance between parents’ involvement in their child’s lives and invasion of privacy at the expense of their children.