Getting personal here. What Generation are you?

[rangerxenos]

I'm a 63 baby but I am firmly in X'er. I in no way identify as a Boomer. The charts I have seen are a bit all over the place but we tailenders need a little flex in deciding.

I am actually very much am a Boomer, I'm convinced I was born a decade too late given my views on everything!

 

[Beezle2]

I am actually very much am a Boomer, I'm convinced I was born a decade too late given my views on everything!

Condolences? Lol...I kid

 

[wenrob]

I'm a 63 baby but I am firmly in X'er. I in no way identify as a Boomer. The charts I have seen are a bit all over the place but we tailenders need a little flex in deciding.

You are what is referred to as Gen Jones, the micro generation between Boomer and Gen X.

I think how you identify with a generation is very much your lived experience. As I said above I have two brothers that are Xennials. The older one had a touch more of the Gen X experience because like a lot of us he was parentified and made responsible for the younger one while the younger one definitely fits more of the millennial profile. Same for my older DD, a Zillennial. She’s absolutely lived more of a millennial experience.

As far as participation trophies go, we Gen Xers need to check ourselves and remember that we’re the ones who largely raised our millennial siblings and have millennial kids. We did that. Our intentions were good. We wanted to make sure they knew someone was there and we very much cared unlike our own lived experience. In some cases we may have overcompensated.

And being angry? Nah man, we’re freaking tired. We’ve been adulting since we were little kids AND raising kids since we were kids. A lot of us had parents who were (intentionally or not) neglectful and left us to raise ourselves. (“It’s 10 o’clock do you know where your kids are?” “Have you hugged your child today?”) Now those parents expect us to take care of them physically, emotionally and in a lot of cases financially while simultaneously telling us our kids are spoiled and we should neglect them like they did us. And those siblings? Half of them resentful little turds who don’t understand why we can’t rescue them anymore because we’re busy trying to raise our own kids and figure out the parent situation. We’re tired. So tired. What is perceived as anger is us finally saying enough. While I would never change growing up Gen X (we truly are a generation like no other) it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. We had epic adventures but we also had epic responsibilities. I read somewhere that we spent the first half of our life surviving and are spending the second half healing. I find that (in my case at least) to be true.

 

[mickey916]

You are what is referred to as Gen Jones, the micro generation between Boomer and Gen X.

I think how you identify with a generation is very much your lived experience. As I said above I have two brothers that are Xennials. The older one had a touch more of the Gen X experience because like a lot of us he was parentified and made responsible for the younger one while the younger one definitely fits more of the millennial profile. Same for my older DD, a Zillennial. She’s absolutely lived more of a millennial experience.

As far as participation trophies go, we Gen Xers need to check ourselves and remember that we’re the ones who largely raised our millennial siblings and have millennial kids. We did that. Our intentions were good. We wanted to make sure they knew someone was there and we very much cared unlike our own lived experience. In some cases we may have overcompensated.

And being angry? Nah man, we’re freaking tired. We’ve been adulting since we were little kids AND raising kids since we were kids. A lot of us had parents who were (intentionally or not) neglectful and left us to raise ourselves. (“It’s 10 o’clock do you know where your kids are?” “Have you hugged your child today?”) Now those parents expect us to take care of them physically, emotionally and in a lot of cases financially while simultaneously telling us our kids are spoiled and we should neglect them like they did us. And those siblings? Half of them resentful little turds who don’t understand why we can’t rescue them anymore because we’re busy trying to raise our own kids and figure out the parent situation. We’re tired. So tired. What is perceived as anger is us finally saying enough. While I would never change growing up Gen X (we truly are a generation like no other) it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. We had epic adventures but we also had epic responsibilities. I read somewhere that we spent the first half of our life surviving and are spending the second half healing. I find that (in my case at least) to be true.

very well said...

 

[wenrob]

I'm Gen X and we had participant trophies. Thinking of t-ball, for example. At the end of season banquet, there were participant trophies for everyone (very small) and then much bigger ones for the first- and second-place teams (I think the second-place team got something - in my memory it was slightly smaller than the first-place team). I mean, it was very clearly a "thanks for coming out" type thing and very much inferior to the ones people got for winning, but I do remember that we got *something* (at least sometimes). Not for everything (and, again, clearly inferior) but I definitely remember at least some participation trophies/ribbons.

“Participation Trophy” does not necessarily mean a literal trophy. It’s become a phrase to imply “spoiled and entitled” or to say, “you never had to work as hard as me, you don’t know how to earn things on your own.” It’s largely used to belittle and deflect from one’s own shortcomings. Some folks do not like that these kids do things differently or do not want to make work their entire life. IMO it’s awesome. I admire my DD telling her boss that no, she is not available to call, text or problem solve on her days off because well, I would have NEVER.

 

[tzolkin]

“Participation Trophy” does not necessarily mean a literal trophy. It’s become a phrase to imply “spoiled and entitled” or to say, “you never had to work as hard as me, you don’t know how to earn things on your own.” It’s largely used to belittle and deflect from one’s own shortcomings. Some folks do not like that these kids do things differently or do not want to make work their entire life. IMO it’s awesome. I admire my DD telling her boss that no, she is not available to call, text or problem solve on her days off because well, I would have NEVER.

I agree. I hear so much crap about "kids/young people these days", but I personally love some of the differences.

I think the emotional maturity and boundary setting of the younger generations can be intimidating to some from the older generations, so it's easier to just believe that they are lazy and entitled.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm a generation X

Me too

 

[wenrob]

I agree. I hear so much crap about "kids/young people these days", but I personally love some of the differences.

I think the emotional maturity and boundary setting of the younger generations can be intimidating to some from the older generations, so it's easier to just believe that they are lazy and entitled.

Yessss, exactly!

 

[Lehuaann]

X married to a Boomer

 

[Beezle2]

I agree. I hear so much crap about "kids/young people these days", but I personally love some of the differences.

I think the emotional maturity and boundary setting of the younger generations can be intimidating to some from the older generations, so it's easier to just believe that they are lazy and entitled.

They offer so much growth to us if we just go with it. I adore our young people and am grateful for them.

 

[mickey916]

I agree. I hear so much crap about "kids/young people these days", but I personally love some of the differences.

I think the emotional maturity and boundary setting of the younger generations can be intimidating to some from the older generations, so it's easier to just believe that they are lazy and entitled.

When I was in college I had to read an essay written by Plato and there was a whole part about how the younger generation was ruining everything...lol. Guess that opinion has been around since 375 BC...