Have you noticed how you and the women in your life are able to accomplish a myriad of activities all the while maintaining rich relationships? According to the pundits, this may be because women are traditionally good at multitasking – both at work and at home. The conventional wisdom is that this skill is a result of both inherent abilities as well as the effects of learning and socialization. Recently, scientists using MRI scans have found that the brains of women are hard-wired to excel at multitasking whereas men’s brains are set up to focus on a single, linear complex task.
Building on this talent for interfacing, women may wear many different hats, often simultaneously, in their relationships as well. And those hats were especially visible this past weekend as the two largest generational groups in the country, Millennials and Baby Boomers, joined with others to celebrate their multi-faceted connections during intergenerational Mother’s Day parties.
Millennial daughters often have a different relationship with their mothers than have other generations. They may be more like friends, with their moms having practiced ‘peerenting’ rather than parenting. But as they both grow older, these Millennials, like others before them, will likely tend to move toward role reversals. Here are some suggestions about how daughters can begin nurturing their mothers as they age.
And Baby Boomer mothers having an adult daughter return home to live as a ‘Boomerang Kid’ can develop a different set of expectations for their fluid connection. This new living arrangement has led to a cultural shift, with more than 20 million Millennials back in the nest. When mothers and daughters work together to refresh their relationship by cooperating to establish new guidelines and boundaries, it can be a win-win for the entire family.
When the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship is thrown into the mix of generations, it can cause sparks to fly or embers to quietly smolder or warmth to spread throughout the family. Here on our website ‘resources’ section you can find some strategies and tips to help forge a bond with your daughter-in-law that will grow and become stronger as the married couple and you move into this new chapter in everyone’s life.
After becoming a grandmother, a majority of Boomers find they thoroughly enjoy the attachment with their grandsons and granddaughters. Frequently, their connection is limited only by the physical distance between them. But click here for some ways you can stay close with your grandchildren even when you live far apart.
Just as her ability to multitask has allowed today’s woman to balance her home, professional, family and personal spheres, it can help coordinate all of the rich relationships that bring joy and fulfillment on family get-togethers every day of the year.
