What Makes Millennial Moms So Different

Here's why I'm proud to be part of this new generation of mothers.


Art Credit: Island Moon Photography

As a twenty-something mom, freelancing from home, I spend my days changing diapers one minute and marketing my own business on social media the next. When trying to identify with "my peers," I tend to feel out of place with my creative, career-minded Millennials who are putting off marriage and children. And yet, when I look at the Generation X moms, many of whom have put in their time as supermom corporate-ladder climbers, I often feel as though I don't quite fit in there either.

Thankfully for me, it turns out I'm not that that strange—it's just that Millennial Moms are a breed all our own. A new report issued by BabyCenter, which surveyed today's youngest moms, ages 18-32, to see how they compare to Gen X moms (age 33-44), found that Millennial moms are resilient, resourceful, optimistic—and parenting on our own terms.

Parenting Style

Having grown up with parents that were more likely to be protective and worried than other generations, millennial moms have opted to take a more relaxed, unstructured, and fun approach with their own children. But that doesn't mean they don't care about their role as parents. When asked what they consider "one of the most important things" in life, 52 percent of millennials said it was being a good parent, with only 30 percent saying the same about having a successful marriage.

Work Style

Millennial moms are also multi-tasking geniuses. How else do you explain their ability to consume an average of 8.3 hours of media each day, while also working and raising children? But they're learning to work in a way that fits their less structured, more independent approach. Having entered adulthood during a shaky economy, millennial mom's are finding work that gives them the flexibility they crave and the income they need. Compared to Gen X moms, millennials are 17 percent more likely to freelance and one in five have started blogs that garner substantial followings. Millennial moms are leveraging technology to create and deliver their own products. In fact, millennial mom's are 63 percent more likely than Gen-X moms to have started selling homemade items through social media and 37 percent more likely to have started a business and then promoted it through social media.

I'm proud to be a part of a demographic that surveys sum up as , "fearless, creative, and ambitious with radically different career expectations." As for being a laid-back and fun parent, we'll see what my daughter thinks when she's 16.