Here’s the generation with the best parenting skills: ‘We’re not helicopter parents – we’re gliders’

For a while there, Gen X parents were barely part of the parenting conversation. We weren’t hosting parenting podcasts. We weren’t going viral on TikTok for Bento box ideas. We were just… quietly getting on with it – packing recess, setting boundaries, and confiscating iPads like it was our job (because, well, it kind of is).

Look, I firmly believe that every generation is doing it’s best with the tools and environment we’re dealing with at the time. But lately, I’ve noticed something strange. Something… flattering.

Every second parenting trend on social media looks eerily familiar. The calm-but-firm approach. The “I love you deeply, but no you cannot have a lollipop at 7 a.m.” energy. The idea that kids don’t need to be entertained 24/7 and that boredom is character-building. All of it? That’s classic Gen X parenting. And now it’s having a moment.

We were once written off as too hands-off – the generation that let ourselves in after school and ate Sunnyboys in front of Neighbours. But now? Our boundary-driven, emotionally available, no-fuss parenting style is suddenly the blueprint for modern parenting.

We’re not helicopter parents – we’re gliders

Unlike the Boomers, who went hard on the discipline, or the Millennials, who researched parenting like it was a PhD, we Gen Xers took a more balanced approach. We weren’t hovering. We were watching from a distance, ready to swoop in if someone was bleeding or about to microwave a fork.

We’ve always known when to let our kids figure things out and when to step in – mostly after a suspicious silence or the smell of burning.

We were raised by TV – and common sense

Let’s be honest: our own childhoods were a little unhinged. We sat in the back of Holden Commodores without seatbelts, ate cheese slices straight off the plastic, and considered A Country Practice appointment television. We learned to fend for ourselves early – reheating leftovers and answering landlines.

So when we became parents, we brought that mix of resilience, independence, and practicality with us. We weren’t aiming for perfection. We were aiming for “alive, clean-ish, and not yelling at the dog.”

Our vibe? “I love you, but also no.”

The core of the Gen X parenting style is simple: love your kids fiercely – but don’t let them walk all over you. We’re not trying to be their best friend. We’re trying to raise humans who are kind, capable, and who won’t end up on A Current Affair for hoarding reptiles in a suburban share house.

We’ll absolutely be there for our kids when they need us – but we’ll also tell them to get off the floor at Kmart and stop licking the trolley. No shame, no drama. Just boundaries, baby.

The accidental influencers

We didn’t set out to be trendsetters. Half of us still double-tap the wrong thing and call it “The TikToks.” But here we are – with Millennials in the comments asking how we got our kids to pack their own lunch or brush their hair without a meltdown.

There’s something about our calm detachment that feels… revolutionary now. We don’t panic over every tantrum. We know our kid’s emotions are valid – but also fleeting. And we’re not afraid to take the iPad away mid-scream and go about our day like it’s a normal Tuesday.

We’re raising humans, not content

We’re not doing this for likes. We’re doing it because we know the long game matters more than viral validation. We’re not trying to curate the perfect parenting aesthetic. We’re trying to make sure our kids can boil an egg, apologize properly, and understand that being bored isn’t a crisis.

We’re also not afraid to show them what boundaries look like. We say no. We follow through. We mean it when we tell them to put their shoes on now, not after one more YouTube short.

What we’ve known all along

Here’s the thing: Gen X parents have always known that parenting doesn’t have to be performative. It doesn’t have to be perfect. And it definitely doesn’t have to be exhausting.

You can be emotionally available without being emotionally drained.

You can give your child autonomy without giving up your own peace.

You can love your kid more than life itself… and still hide in the laundry with a Freddo Frog just to avoid another game of UNO.

So, if other generations are finally catching on to what we’ve known all along – welcome. Take a seat. We’ll show you how to set boundaries and microwave chicken nuggets like a boss.

Just don’t expect us to make a Reel about it.