Raising Gen Alpha: The impact of Millennial parenting

Abstract

In order to survive, a brand needs to continuously look ahead at the next generation of consumers. Right now that is Generation Alpha. Beano Brain will argue that it is just as important to look at the generation doing the raising, in this case Millennial’s. To hear the full argument be sure to attend The Quirk’s Event - New York but get a glimpse in this article.

Q&A with Pete Maginn, Beano Brain

Editor’s Note: Pete Maginn, managing director of commercial insight, Beano Brain will be presenting the session titled “Raising Generation Alpha: How Millennial parenting is impacting the next generation and how to avoid alienating Millennial moms and dads.” He will be speaking at the 2023 Quirk’s Event - New York.

Beano Brain did a study on Millenial’s parenting style in regards to Generation Alpha. They found an emphasis in positive mental health, happiness and permission to be themselves in this parenting style. Millennials are determined to be a constant and consistent presence in their kids' lives.

Beano Brain also looked at what brands will need to do in order to survive the “more vocal and participatory generation” – Generation Alpha.

“We have been told the presentation has really pushed their knowledge, perceptions and some misperceptions of today’s parents,” said Pete Maginn, managing director of commercial insights at Beano Brain said.

To give readers a sneak peak into Maginn’s presentation on the study, we asked him a few questions ahead of his presentation at the Quirk’s Event New York, July 19-20.

What is one thing you want the audience to take away from your session?

Our Gen Alpha study substantiates and unpacks what we have been increasingly saying to clients for a while – today’s parents are different and you need to understand the differences in order to successfully innovate, communicate and resonate with them.

Of course, we see some tensions between what this generation of parents aim to do and what they actually do, including being more physically and emotionally present in their children’s lives. It’s common within these tensions that opportunities are presented for brands and organizations to play a truly relevant role.

Our study “Raising Gen Alpha” has uncovered a shift in parenting practices that will shape Millennial parents' brand preferences and the resources they seek, ranging from workplace parental policies to products with mental health benefits. For brands, there is a huge opportunity linked to Millennial parents’ emphasis on their children’s happiness and mental health and the strong desire for their kids to spend more time outdoors playing and exploring independently. This presents significant scope for innovation in the realm of creative and experiential design, as well as products that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Parents want brands to help their children become citizens of the future while still leaving room for playfulness and fun with a renewed focus on happiness as an end goal.

Millennial parents’ democratic parenting style and emphasis on being present have led to a close relationship with their Gen Alpha children. They celebrate their children’s individuality and are more likely to encourage them to stand up for their beliefs. The challenge for brands and authorities is how to respond to this focus on individuality. How do you cater for mass individualism, and how do you respond to a generation that may see you as part of the problem?

What was the goal behind the study you conducted?

As important as they are to understand, kids do not live in a silo. To truly understand Generation Alpha, we’ve taken a step back and looked to their Millennial parents to shed light on how their key characteristics are being nurtured today. We wanted to push our thinking and understanding of this cohort by analyzing the relationship between Gen Alpha and their parents. How are Millennials shaping and raising this fascinating cohort and impacting their generational characteristics?

Give one example that shows how Millennial parents are different from other generations.

What is abundantly clear is that Millennials are stepping into the role of parents with the planning, purpose and the professionalism they apply to their next career move.

These parents are striving toward perfection in every sense of the word. They are ready to take matters into their own hands in order to build and create the perfect nurturing environment for their children.

For some this means breaking away from traditional schooling methods, for others it’s a career break and for many it is about carefully researching and selecting a set of best parenting practices – this is undoubtedly different from previous generations of parents and we have the insight to prove it!

We’ve seen much of the tensions lie within this strive for perfection, particularly as they navigate the online world of social media. And as they try to keep up with the fast-paced nature of today in the hope of better understanding tomorrow, it’s clear these Millennials are creating a world where Gen Alpha can truly be embraced as the creative, unique and accepting individuals they are.

Millennials, the internet generation, are now raising the generation practically born with an iPad in their hands. Having grown up in a social media goldfish bowl, these digital natives are more digitally nervous for their own children, with 75% of Millennial parents trying to keep their children off social media for as long as possible. And 35% of Millennial parents believe that a child’s digital footprint should be erased once they turn 18.