HELIX, OR— As the world becomes more industrialized the more people are starting to use their voices to state what they believe and what is perceived as “right” and what is “wrong.” Recently, there has been a rise in disobedient behavior among Generation Alpha and many believe that this is due to the straying away from traditional parenting and millennials raising their kids with a new style of parenting called “gentle parenting.”
Generation Alpha, or Gen Alpha for short, are those born from 2010 to 2024, with the eldest of the generation being 14. Most of this generation are of age to go to school, and lately, many teachers have taken to TikTok and other social media platforms to explain that they believe Gen Alpha is one of the most disrespectful generations they have ever taught. There have been instances where students are rudely talking back to the teachers, throwing objects at other students and teachers, and even cussing out teachers.
A TikTok posted by Teresa Kaye Newman, a music teacher, showed clips from teachers who were telling their experiences as a teacher to Gen Alpha students, Newman said “They're saying Gen Alpha is defiant, aggressive, disrespectful and rude.” She also said that they respect no authority and are quite misbehaving. Other teachers have said that they have tried to tell a student to “sit down” or “stop throwing things” and they are met with a harsh “No” as a response.
Even though there are teachers coming out about the disruptive behavior by Gen Alpha, there are still parents and other people who have never dealt with children who state that teachers are just overreacting. Newman said, “Every time I make a video about these topics (disruption in the classroom), I'll get people that have never worked with kids or have never spent a day in the classroom as an educator give me lines like, 'Well, you're just old and jaded if you don't like it.”
These people also say that Gen Alpha is just misunderstood and they are living in a world where having a bold voice is acceptable. But teachers have been blaming these behaviors on gentle parenting, and parents frequently give into their children. Saying that they are misunderstood is a way for parents/adults to not take the blame for potential bad parenting.
The practice of Gentle parenting calls for parents to not punish their children when their child is misbehaving like taking a toy away when a child is not sharing. A “gentle parent” may instead get down on the child's level and explain to them what they are doing wrong. Today, many parents have gone away from traditional parenting methods because they believe that disciplining a child or raising a voice at them can bring trauma on them.
If parents do not teach or punish their children, then society will when they become adults. When many Gen Alphas do not get what they want, they will throw a tantrum. Although it is one thing to see a small child throwing a tantrum at the store because their parents will not let them get a candy bar, it is unacceptable seeing a ten year old screaming at their teacher because they want candy, or because they do not want to do their school work. If Gen Alpha does not learn that they can not have everything they want, then as they grow up, they will face the harsh reality that they can not get everything they want.
Lastly, gentle parenting can bring inconsistent discipline and a lack of firm boundaries to a child. Due to the lack of firm boundaries, Gen Alpha does not truly know what is right and wrong. “When children are not given clear and consistent limits, they may find it difficult to understand the consequences of their actions and develop necessary self-regulation skills,” says a statement from the Bay Area (California) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Center. “Gentle parenting’s emphasis on giving choices instead of orders can sometimes blur these boundaries, making it harder for children to grasp the importance of rules and expectations.”
I understand that different parenting styles may work with certain kids and many of these kids are very well behaved. Also, some kids need different parenting styles. However, parents should not be raising kids in a way that is trendy because they want to fit in or be liked. If there are so many people speaking out against gentle parenting and it is clear that Gen Alpha behaves way differently than other generations then something needs to change.
Generation Alpha, or Gen Alpha for short, are those born from 2010 to 2024, with the eldest of the generation being 14. Most of this generation are of age to go to school, and lately, many teachers have taken to TikTok and other social media platforms to explain that they believe Gen Alpha is one of the most disrespectful generations they have ever taught. There have been instances where students are rudely talking back to the teachers, throwing objects at other students and teachers, and even cussing out teachers.
A TikTok posted by Teresa Kaye Newman, a music teacher, showed clips from teachers who were telling their experiences as a teacher to Gen Alpha students, Newman said “They're saying Gen Alpha is defiant, aggressive, disrespectful and rude.” She also said that they respect no authority and are quite misbehaving. Other teachers have said that they have tried to tell a student to “sit down” or “stop throwing things” and they are met with a harsh “No” as a response.
Even though there are teachers coming out about the disruptive behavior by Gen Alpha, there are still parents and other people who have never dealt with children who state that teachers are just overreacting. Newman said, “Every time I make a video about these topics (disruption in the classroom), I'll get people that have never worked with kids or have never spent a day in the classroom as an educator give me lines like, 'Well, you're just old and jaded if you don't like it.”
These people also say that Gen Alpha is just misunderstood and they are living in a world where having a bold voice is acceptable. But teachers have been blaming these behaviors on gentle parenting, and parents frequently give into their children. Saying that they are misunderstood is a way for parents/adults to not take the blame for potential bad parenting.
The practice of Gentle parenting calls for parents to not punish their children when their child is misbehaving like taking a toy away when a child is not sharing. A “gentle parent” may instead get down on the child's level and explain to them what they are doing wrong. Today, many parents have gone away from traditional parenting methods because they believe that disciplining a child or raising a voice at them can bring trauma on them.
If parents do not teach or punish their children, then society will when they become adults. When many Gen Alphas do not get what they want, they will throw a tantrum. Although it is one thing to see a small child throwing a tantrum at the store because their parents will not let them get a candy bar, it is unacceptable seeing a ten year old screaming at their teacher because they want candy, or because they do not want to do their school work. If Gen Alpha does not learn that they can not have everything they want, then as they grow up, they will face the harsh reality that they can not get everything they want.
Lastly, gentle parenting can bring inconsistent discipline and a lack of firm boundaries to a child. Due to the lack of firm boundaries, Gen Alpha does not truly know what is right and wrong. “When children are not given clear and consistent limits, they may find it difficult to understand the consequences of their actions and develop necessary self-regulation skills,” says a statement from the Bay Area (California) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Center. “Gentle parenting’s emphasis on giving choices instead of orders can sometimes blur these boundaries, making it harder for children to grasp the importance of rules and expectations.”
I understand that different parenting styles may work with certain kids and many of these kids are very well behaved. Also, some kids need different parenting styles. However, parents should not be raising kids in a way that is trendy because they want to fit in or be liked. If there are so many people speaking out against gentle parenting and it is clear that Gen Alpha behaves way differently than other generations then something needs to change.
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