Generation NeXt Parenting

I Don't Need No Crystal Ball

Okay, I've been "studying" about Gen Xers for a year now. More than that, because I am one, I feel I know some things about us. Because of this, I have some ideas of what we like . . . and where marketers have "caught on" and where they still need to "get clued in."

1. Our families matter most. Believe me, this is a very Gen X thing. Gone are the days of latch-key, childhood existences. Gone are the days when the horror films had little kids as the demon possessed evil people. (Remember those horrible films?)

What this means:

"Work from home" or "family friendly companies" will be sought after by both moms and dads. And because of this, companies will "get a clue."

Magazines will CONTINUE to highlight all the "celebrity" kids. We'll know what's happening with Shiloh, Violet, Suri, Sean, CoCo, Apple, etc . . . just as we know what's with our own kids.

More products that target DADS. Books. Classes. Videos. I mean, moms are only 1/2 of the formula.

Larger families and an increase in International adoptions. We're also going to hate the fact that older generations will think we're just following a "trend." Because our hearts are truly going to be to be open to the homeless/parentless.

An increase in "alternative" education: homeschooling, private schools, charter schools, etc. Also an increase in more parent/child classes, workshops, fun.

An increase on marriage retreats, marriage workshops, marriage books. And a decrease in divorces among Gen Xers.

More parenting books that target Gen Xers. Generation Next Parenting will be such a hit that more authors/publishers will jump on the bandwagon. (Don't you agree?)

More nostalgia items for our kids. We'll buy them because they give us so many happy memories that we'll want to share with our kids.

2. We want a REAL relationship with God and with each other. This means:

A growth of "small groups"--both on-line and in person.

A renewed interest in the Spiritual Disciplines and classic Christian literature.

More intimate relationships with God. We'll bypass "religion" in search of "relationship."

A growth of "family ministry" where families work and serve together--including short term mission trips, community and church service.

3. The bandwagon that marketers need to get on:

Remixes of our favorite songs--cleaned up.

Movies such as 13 Going on 30, which we can relate to.

A TV series, such as "The Wonder Years" set in the 70s/early 80s.

Clearance. No joke! We LOVE getting a good deal. Stories like Marshalls, Ross, TJ Maxx--any thing that makes us feel like we're getting a bargain makes us happy. More stories like this (or even web-based stores) will do great.

Okay, those are my "predictions" what do you see?

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 8:55 PM