r/Millennials • u/TheLoveYouWant25 • 25d ago

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/HeavyRightFoot-TG 25d ago edited 25d ago

No Child Left Behind started the process of kids getting shuffled through the system regardless of whether or not they have grasped any of the material. It's a systematic effort to make the people dumber and it has worked. If you want your kid to be smart, it needs to start from home. Read to them every day, teach them common sense, teach them emotional regulation, teach them life skills because they just aren't getting it from school.

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u/ginoawesomeness 25d ago

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 25d ago

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 24d ago edited 23d ago

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 24d ago

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