Gen Z children are alienating their families for emotional reasons.

Building a harmonious family environment is not easy, especially for parents with Gen Z children.

Parents' belief in their children is a great source of motivation and has great value in helping children overcome all challenges - Illustration: AI

Sometimes, unintentional actions by parents can cause Gen Z to feel alienated from their families. This loneliness has a major impact on young people's mental, physical, and emotional health, often lasting into adulthood.

Here are some ways parents behave that can cause their children to drift away from their families.

Joking about the maturity of Gen Z children

According to a Gallup survey, 46% of Gen Zers feel that their parents don’t understand them, especially when it comes to conflict resolution, open communication, and expressing affection. More than 62% just want their parents to listen when they’re upset, rather than criticize them, give them unnecessary advice, or ridicule them for their own issues, such as their maturity level.

There is a generational gap between parents and Gen Z, due to differences in culture, social norms, technology, beliefs and values, along with major stresses such as financial instability. Major communication conflicts often start when Gen Z feels unappreciated, made fun of or not listened to positively by their parents.

Emotional child, parents say "overdoing it"

Gen Z is considered the most emotionally aware generation, as they have easy access to knowledge about mental health, healthy relationships, self-care, and personal development.

Meanwhile, sometimes parents are not open-minded or have high emotional intelligence, often suppress their emotions and avoid difficult topics, often manipulate or criticize their children, saying that they are "overreacting" or "too sensitive" to reassure themselves. This causes Gen Z young people to gradually distance themselves and not want to talk to their parents.

Avoid arguments

Parents who tend to avoid conflict often cause emotional insecurity in the family. Avoiding talking about children's psychological and emotional problems will cause conflicts to not be resolved. Children will also become more resentful. Without being able to talk frankly, clearly, and openly with their parents, young Gen Z people will feel misunderstood and become more distant.

Not speaking up to protect your child

Parents cannot protect their children from every difficulty in life, but they can intervene and protect them when necessary, such as when they are bullied by friends, help them learn from mistakes, or encourage them to communicate openly and honestly.

Conversely, parents who make their children feel abandoned in difficult times contribute to the distance between Generation Z and their families. These young people also have difficulty developing emotional intelligence, due to a feeling of not being supported as they grow up.

bias

Favoritism can manifest as parents being less strict, rewarding more, or giving more attention and care to two or more children. This disrupts the balanced relationship between children in the family and even causes resentment.

The bias can also contribute to self-esteem, loneliness and mental health issues in young people. As a result, many Gen Zers feel most comfortable away from home or away from their parents.

Disrespecting children's boundaries

Many parents fail to respect some of their Generation Z children's boundaries, especially when it comes to cell phone use and technology needs.

This overprotection often does more harm than good, pushing children away and undermining basic elements such as trust, respect, and communication that are necessary for a healthy parent-child relationship.

Parents badmouth each other in front of their children

Parents "bad-mouthing" each other to their children can have negative effects on family relationships, comfort at home, and the child's communication skills with both parents.

By creating negative emotions and critical thoughts about the other parent in the child's mind, parents can control the family narrative. This is especially common among divorced or separated parents.

Not only does “parental ostracism” put children in an awkward situation, it also creates unpleasant emotions such as guilt and shame in Gen Z young people, making them want to avoid them more.

Parents lack confidence

Emotionally immature parents almost always struggle with their own lack of self-confidence. They have been taught, or learned, that expressing their feelings and communicating openly with others will only lead to ridicule or judgment, so they close themselves off. They even do this with their children, and make them feel like this is the right way to protect themselves.

This behavior can leave Gen Zers feeling isolated and alienated, unable to express their emotions and handle relationships.

Skepticism about "non-traditional" jobs and technology

As a generation born in the digital age, Gen Z spends most of their time on social media, mobile phones and technology, to the point that it affects every aspect of their lives, from education, work, to hobbies and passions.

Parents who doubt or downplay their children’s new perspectives and opportunities related to nontraditional and technological careers can create resentment and distance in their children. At the same time, young people may feel insecure, skeptical, anxious, and guilty about pursuing a field that their parents do not support.

Blame others

One of the behaviors in parents that causes alienation in their children is the tendency to blame and avoid responsibility. Instead of taking responsibility for their mistakes and actions, they blame and make themselves into victims.

Not only can this cause similar behavior in children when they grow up, but it can also cause them to distance themselves from their parents. Children learn that making mistakes is something to avoid at all costs, even if it means deceiving those closest to them.

Don't show affection

The ability to give and receive love openly within the family is essential to fostering healthy relationships. When children do not receive unconditional love from their parents, they will resort to negative behaviors to get their parents’ attention, struggle to feel loved, or gradually withdraw from the family.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/con-cai-gen-z-xa-lanh-gia-dinh-vi-nhung-ly-do-thuoc-ve-cam-xuc-20241206141147795.htm