It’s easy to criticize the parenting styles of previous generations. And let’s be honest, Boomer parents definitely got some things wrong.
But in our rush to do everything differently, to be more intentional and more conscious and more present, we might have overcorrected in some areas.
There were things that generation did—not because they read about them in parenting books or saw them on Instagram, but just because that’s how things were done—that actually worked pretty well.
Not all of their methods need to be left in the past. Some are worth reconsidering, maybe even bringing back.
Here are eight things Boomer parents got right that younger generations might benefit from revisiting.
1) Letting kids be bored
Boomer parents didn’t feel obligated to entertain their children every waking moment. Boredom was just part of childhood, something you figured out on your own.
Kids were sent outside to “find something to do.” They weren’t enrolled in activities every afternoon. Weekends weren’t packed with scheduled events. There was a lot of unstructured time.
And that boredom? It was where creativity happened. Where kids learned to entertain themselves, to use their imagination, to create games out of nothing.
Today’s children are often overscheduled, constantly stimulated, and rarely left to their own devices—literally and figuratively. We feel like bad parents if our kids complain they’re bored, so we fill every gap with activities, screens, or structured play.
But boredom is valuable. It teaches self-sufficiency. It forces creativity. It allows children to develop the skill of generating their own entertainment rather than expecting to be constantly occupied.
Maybe we don’t need to fill every moment. Maybe “I’m bored” doesn’t require an immediate solution from us.
2) Saying no without guilt
Boomer parents said no. A lot. And they didn’t feel the need to explain, justify, negotiate, or apologize for it.
Today’s parents often struggle with boundaries. We want our kids to understand our reasoning. We want to be fair. We explain in detail why the answer is no, then feel guilty about disappointing them, then sometimes cave and change our answer.
But there’s something to be said for a simple, firm no. Not every decision needs to be a discussion. Not every boundary needs extensive justification. Sometimes no is just no.
This doesn’t mean being authoritarian or dismissive. It means being comfortable with disappointing your child occasionally without feeling like you’ve failed as a parent.
Boomer parents understood that children don’t need to like every decision. They just need to respect it. And learning to accept no is an important life skill.
3) Letting kids solve their own problems
When kids had a conflict with a friend or a struggle at school, Boomer parents typically didn’t intervene unless it was serious. They let kids work it out themselves.
Today, we’re much more involved. We mediate every conflict, coach through every social situation, contact teachers about every issue, and jump in at the first sign of struggle.
But constantly rescuing children from discomfort robs them of opportunities to develop resilience, problem-solving skills, and confidence in their own abilities.
Boomer parents let their kids experience natural consequences. Forgot your homework? Face the teacher. Had a fight with your friend? Figure it out. Made a poor choice? Learn from it.
This wasn’t neglect—it was allowing children to develop competence. To learn that they could handle hard things. To build the muscle of perseverance.
We don’t need to rescue our kids from every uncomfortable situation. Sometimes the lesson is in the struggle, not in us preventing the struggle.
4) Expecting kids to contribute to the household
In many Boomer households, children had regular chores. Not as punishment, but as a normal part of being in a family. Everyone contributed because that’s what families do.
Kids set the table, cleared dishes, took out trash, mowed lawns, babysat younger siblings. These weren’t optional or tied to allowance necessarily—they were just expectations.
Many modern parents do most household tasks themselves, either because it’s easier or because they feel their children are too busy or stressed to take on responsibilities.
But expecting children to contribute teaches valuable lessons: that they’re capable, that their contribution matters, that being part of a family means pitching in, not just receiving.
It builds competence, work ethic, and the understanding that the world doesn’t revolve around them. These are skills that serve people well into adulthood.
Maybe our kids can handle more responsibility than we’re giving them. Maybe they should.
5) Not making children the center of the universe
Boomer parents loved their children, but family life didn’t revolve entirely around the kids’ preferences, schedules, and needs.
Adults had conversations that children weren’t part of. Parents went out without feeling guilty. Family decisions were made by parents, not by committee. Kids adapted to adult schedules, not the other way around.
Today’s parenting culture often treats children as the center of everything. Family schedules revolve around kids’ activities. Dinner options are dictated by children’s preferences. Vacation plans prioritize what kids want to do.
This can create children who expect the world to accommodate them, who struggle when they’re not the priority, who haven’t learned to be flexible or considerate of others’ needs.
There’s a balance to be found. Children should feel loved and important, but they don’t need to be the sun around which everything orbits. They can learn to adapt, to be patient, to understand that other people’s needs matter too.
6) Allowing independence at younger ages
Boomer parents let their kids roam. Children walked to school alone, rode bikes around the neighborhood without supervision, played outside for hours without check-ins, stayed home alone at relatively young ages.
The world wasn’t actually safer then—we just had different ideas about acceptable risk and child independence.
Today, parents who let their children walk to school alone or play unsupervised at the park risk being judged or even reported. We’ve become hypervigilant about safety in ways that limit children’s development.
But independence at appropriate ages builds confidence, decision-making skills, and competence. Children who never navigate the world without constant adult supervision don’t develop the same level of self-reliance.
Obviously, we need to consider actual safety. But we might be overestimating danger and underestimating our children’s capability. Small steps toward independence—walking to a friend’s house, staying home alone briefly, making simple decisions without consulting us—help children develop confidence in their own judgment.
7) Not rushing to praise constantly
Boomer parents generally didn’t praise every small thing their children did. Accomplishments were acknowledged, but ordinary activities weren’t met with constant affirmation.
Modern parenting culture emphasizes building self-esteem through frequent praise. We celebrate every drawing, every attempt, every minor achievement. We’re terrified of damaging their confidence by not praising enough.
But constant praise can actually backfire. It can make children dependent on external validation, less motivated by internal satisfaction, and anxious when praise isn’t forthcoming.
Boomer parents’ more reserved approach meant that when praise came, it carried weight. Children learned to evaluate their own work and find satisfaction in effort and improvement, not just in being told they were great.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t encourage our children. It means being more strategic about praise—making it specific, earned, and meaningful rather than constant and automatic.
8) Prioritizing family meals without devices
In Boomer households, family dinner was often non-negotiable. Everyone sat down together, no TV, and you stayed at the table until everyone was finished.
It wasn’t always pleasant or magical, but it created a daily ritual of connection. It was time for conversation, for checking in, for being present with each other.
Today, family meals often compete with devices, activities, and busy schedules. Even when we do eat together, phones are present, screens are on, attention is divided.
But there’s real value in that simple practice of sharing a meal without distractions. It creates space for conversation that might not happen otherwise. It builds connection. It teaches table manners and social skills. It establishes the habit of being fully present with people you care about.
We don’t have to make it perfect or formal. But maybe we could make it consistent and device-free. Maybe we could protect that time as something worth preserving.
Conclusion
None of this means we should parent exactly like Boomers did. They weren’t perfect, and many things needed to change.
But sometimes in our effort to improve, to be more conscious and intentional, we lose practices that actually worked. We overcomplicate things that used to be simple. We fix problems that weren’t really problems.
The best approach probably isn’t to copy any generation’s parenting style wholesale. It’s to take what worked, leave what didn’t, and adapt practices to our current context.
These eight things—allowing boredom, setting firm boundaries, letting kids struggle, expecting contribution, not making everything child-centered, fostering independence, being strategic with praise, and protecting family time—those weren’t perfect, but they had merit.
Maybe we don’t need to bring back everything from that era. But maybe we don’t need to reject everything either.
Sometimes the old ways worked because they were based on something true about human development, not just because people didn’t know any better.
And sometimes our children need less of our constant management and more of what Boomer kids got: space to figure things out, permission to be bored, confidence that they’re capable, and the knowledge that the world doesn’t revolve around them.
That’s not bad parenting. That’s preparing them for the world as it actually is.
