GENERATION GAP

By- Himanshi Sharma

It simply means that the current generation and their previous generation have different opinions on a number of issues. Lack of qualities that allow different generations to understand one another and find common ground results in generational gaps. Almost everyone views it as a very significant problem. It is a contentious issue within an individual's family. The household is often left empty. One major factor contributing to the gap between groups is generation. But the main problem arises from the mental disconnect between traditional ways of thinking and modern behaviours. Children think that they are adults and that it is truly their time to be themselves. As a result, they feel better about themselves. In general, parents and their kids don't see things from the viewpoints of one another. Thus, miscommunication is a major factor in the rise of the generational divide. They discuss topics like schoolwork, sibling conflicts, boundaries, and confidence that can lead to conflict between teens and their parents. While they are aware that parents are mostly worried about their safety, some teens believe their parents should trust them more and provide them more freedom. The age gap between parents and children can sometimes be great enough for them to have grown up in different cultures during their teenage years. Since things infrequently remain the same in our world as it develops and changes, teenagers tends to be the time when people are most affected by the society around them. This result in age divides between parents and their children.

The following are a few reasons why there is a generational divide between parents and children:

Lack of understanding:

On a few occasions it appears as though different generations talk different languages. Even the way that parents think and what they believe as common can be different because of how society has changed from the time that they were growing up to the time that their children are living in.

Infrequent Forgiveness of Mistake:

Parents commonly scold their children for making mistakes. Children must make mistakes in order to learn and develop in life, but if they only receive punishment for them, the communication divides increases and leads to poor behaviour.

 Expectations for Children to Be Doubles Parents frequently have goals for their children and frequently push them towards those goals disregarding what their children actually want.

 The excessive use of comparisons:

Another factor contributing to the gap's increasing is comparing kids to one another or even to how you were as a kid. This often results in them losing faith in themselves and can kill any excitement they may have had in the past.

 Insufficient Interaction:

Parents frequently discover themselves too tired to spend enough time with their children each day as a result of the responsibilities of maturity and the tension related to the demands of daily life at work. The generation divide increases as a result of the lack of conversation and interaction this creates. How to Close the Generational Gap between Parents and Their Kids.

Here are some suggestions for overcoming the generational divide between parents and their kids:

1. Be Open-Minded:

Children's thought processes differ from adults' methods of thinking. Parents tend to think they know how their kid thinks because they have already reached the age of their present child. The reality is that their mind-set will be very different and may even shock some parents because the world and way of life were very different back then compared with they are now. This is why it's crucial to maintain an open mind and prevent from thinking that they must be exactly like you were when they were their age. It's important to understand that behaviours that are now considered acceptable for children may not have been suitable when you were that age. 

2. Communicate:

Every day communication with your children should be priority. At the end of the day, talking about each other's days can help you get to know one another and make it easier to be yourself around one another. Children need to know they can talk to their parents about anything, which will eventually give their parents peace of mind because they won't have to stress about them keeping important information a secret.

3. Listen:

Parents should give their children unlimited speaking time and attend to what they have to say. Your kid will feel much closer to you if you take the time to learn about their points of view. This is because they will believe that you care about what they want or how they feel. Your kid will be more likely to attend to you in return if you are a parent who listens as well as talks and educates.

4. Understand:

Understanding comes with hearing, so you need to practice putting yourself in your child's position and attempting to figure out their feelings and desires from what they tell you. You will be able to overcome the generation divide to some degree if you understand where your kid is coming from.

5. Love without conditions:

If stated, love has a way of overcoming divides and connecting different events. So be sure and show your kids how much you care. The constant affection that they receive from you is very motivating and encourages kids to respond with similar compassion and understanding.

If you've been trying to improve your connection with your kid, a generation gap may be exactly what you need. Remember that it's important to understand that they have their own viewpoints, and that showing them love and patience will go a long way towards overcoming the generational divide that separates parents and children.