Being a millennial mom in today’s fast-paced world presents a unique set of challenges that previous generations did not encounter. Born into an era characterized by technological advancements, economic uncertainties, and shifting societal norms, we millennial moms are navigating parenthood amidst a rapidly changing landscape.
We are expected to gracefully manage our households, while pursuing our full-time careers, and live up to the unrealistic expectations of social media motherhood. Not only that, we are burdened with the social and economic realities of our modern society and are concerned with how they will impact our children over the course of their life. Motherhood has always been hard, but millennial motherhood is hard for new reasons. Let’s take some time to explore the top 5 challenges millennial moms face today.
1. Work-Life Balance
We are expected to do it all. Cook, clean, serve our husband and children, go to work, pay the bills, plan vacations, help kids with homework, pickup groceries. The list goes on and on. Balancing work commitments with family time is challenging, leading to stress and feelings of mom guilt when we can’t do it all.
2. Overwhelming Financial Pressures
Living in the 2020’s is expensive! Many millennial moms face financial challenges, including student loan debt, rising childcare costs, and the expectation to provide a comfortable lifestyle for their families. These financial pressures force us into situations where we are constantly having to balance the need for income and caring for our families. It is a tough place to be!
3. Separation From Family
Given the financial pressures previously discussed, many millennial moms and their families have moved away from their nuclear or extended families to seek better employment. The mantra “finding my village” is the new life verse for millennial moms that are trying to grow a support system in a new place without the help of family.
4. Mental Health
In addition to the general mental health concerns all millennials face, postpartum depression and anxiety are real challenges faced by millennial moms. Giving birth and raising babies is hard! Coupled with the added stress of work, finances and separation from family, postpartum mental health is greatly impacted.
5. Parenting in the Digital Age
I bet you are reading this article on one of the many electronic devices that you own. Millennial moms must grapple with the challenges of raising children in a technology-driven world. We are constantly bombarded with making decisions about screen time limits, online safety concerns, and the impact of social media on our children’s development. This is a new challenge that did not impact previous generations.
So how do we overcome these challenges?
Before you loose hope and resort to a life of defeat, we must look outside ourselves and towards a Heavenly comfort. In the Book of Romans, Paul tells us that we should “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 3:3, ESV).
In those moments when you feel overwhelmed by the challenges of millennial motherhood, know that God is sanctifying you and producing endurance, character and hope in your heart. His ways are better than our ways, but that does not mean that our trials are easy or our burdens light. We want you to be encouraged and to know that the skills you are learning today will make you an even better millennial mom tomorrow.
