Generation NeXt Parenting

Hard habit to break (Chicago)

You know you’re a Gen X mom, when your middle-schooler reminds you of a class project, piano lessons, or a promised trip to the mall, and you say, “Can you email that to me?”

I’m only half joking. Actually my “preferred method of communication” just might be a Gen X thing after all. I recently read the “Lifetime Women’s Pulse Poll.” And here is something the piqued my interest:

“Technology is the native tongue for Gens Y & X and an acquired taste for Baby Boomers. However, Gen X is more likely to prefer email while boomers and Gen Y, prefer face-to-face, and Gen Y is more likely to IM or blog than the other two groups.”

My two kids are Gen Yers for sure. Since they are homeschooled, and do most of their work on the computer, the #1 thing they get reprimanded for is IMing when they should be studying. Amazingly, the more I watch them, the more I’ve discovered that they actually don’t have much trouble toggling between the two.

As for me, I refuse to use IM. For some reason I don’t like the fact that people can see when I’m on-line. (Maybe because I always am.) I also prefer to email my responses according to my own schedule, instead of answering the phone or IMing. Am I the only one? Is anyone else out there like that too?

One of my favorite verses says, “For we speak as messengers who have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He is the one who examines the motives of our hearts.” (1 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT)

I suppose the important thing is not how we communicate, but that we do . . . pleasing God in all the ways technology allows us, emailing, IMing and phoning included! (How’s that for a Gen X statement!)

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 5:17 PM