Parenting this Generation
Last April 2025, we had our annual Philippine Pediatric Society ( PPS convention), and one of the speakers was Dr Nina T. Castillo-Carandang, a professor of Health Sociology and Global Health of the University of the Philippines-Manila. She talked on the topic “Parenting Gen Z and Gen Alpha”. This is a very relevant topic and we as parents should learn from the expert.
Dr. Carandang started her lecture by giving the definition of the following terms:
1. Parenting
2. Nurturing
3. Mentoring
4. Shepherding
In Parenting, the focus is the child’s growth and discipline
– the scope: family
– time frame: long term
– tone: directive and supportive
In Nurturing, the focus is emotional growth and well- being
– scope : universal
– time frame: either short or long term
– tone: compassionate and encouraging
In Mentoring, the focus is skill development and guidance
– scope: personal and professional relationship
– time frame: goal specific
– tone: advisory and collaborative
In Shepherding, the focus is moral and spiritual
– scope: group oriented
– on going
– tone: protective and guiding
As parents, we have to be very careful because the questions that we ask the children may influence what we see, what we do and how we relate.
Dr Carandang further stated that if we want to change the world, we need to be willing to change ourselves and change how we see and understand things.
We have to understand generational cohorts to be able to analyze changes in views overtime. Also, this will enable today’s older adults to examine how they react and feel about issues when they were young and that they can view the difference across generations. We should remember that older adults have different views at a given moment.
Dr. Nina Carandang mentioned that there are 5 things to keep in mind when we hear about Gen Z, Millennials, Boomers and other generations. These are the following:
1. Generational categories are not scientifically defined
2. Generational labels can lead to stereotypes and oversimplification
3. Discussion about generation often focuses on differences instead of similarities
4. Conventional views of generation can carry an upper class bias
5. People change overtime
The Generational categories are as follows:
A. Silent generation= 1920 to 1964
B. Baby Boomers= 1946-1964
C. Gen X = 1965-1980
D. Millennials. 1981-1996
E. Gen Z. 1997-2012
F. Gen A. 2010-2024
G. Gen B. 2025-2039
We will focus our discussion on understanding and parenting the Gen Z and Gen A.
The Gen Z are the children who grow with smartphones and social media. They have analog and digital childhood and they have witnessed significant technological transition.
The Gen A are Ai natives. They belong to the fully digital world. They are the 0-12 years old now and that they have no memory of the world without smartphones and tablets.
To solve problems faced by parents, for the Gen Z , parents should be interventional and for Gen A, parents should be prevention focused.
Dr. Carandang elaborated that for:
A. digital management, screen time should be limited and that digital content exposure should be monitored strictly. Parents should do their best to avoid their children to be technologically dependent.
B. Cultural identity
– in here parents should navigate the tension between traditional Filipino values and global digital influences
C. Physical Health
– parents should manage physical impacts of technology use for posture and that outdoor activities should be encouraged
D. Mental health
– support emotional well being
E. Social development
– parents should ensure healthy social skill development despite digital mediation
– face to face interaction should be encouraged
F. Educational challenges
– parents and teachers as well should balance technology learning with traditional educational approaches
G. Family Dynamics
– parents should do their best to maintain family cohesion and values in a digital context
H. OFW- specific challenge
– this is really a tough challenge for parents; they must have a scheduled consistent digital communication