Boomer & Gen X Parents Often Send 8 Texts To Their Kids That Immediately Make Them Roll Their Eyes
KaterynaUKR | Shutterstock Even for people who don't use internet slang or rarely use their phones, parents texting their grown children is inevitable.
As annoying as it might be, boomer and Gen X parents often send certain texts to their kids, and their adult children roll their eyes right away. Rarely are they intentionally malicious or mean, but that doesn't stop their kids from perceiving them that way.
Kids receive these text from their boomer and Gen X parents that make them roll their eyes
1. 'When are you coming to visit?'
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Being present with kids became a core piece of identity for many Gen Xers, so to cope with their own latchkey childhoods, many struggle with not spending a lot of time with their adult kids.
They feel entitled to their family's attention and company, even if that means needing to guilt-trip their adult kids. In the moment, it helps to ease their anxiety and frustration, but over time, it only pushes their children away.
2. 'Don't fall for this scam'
Many digitally savvy young people are actually more at risk today for falling for online scams than older generations. So, even if these kinds of texts with screenshots from Facebook feel annoying, they might actually be helping some people from getting taken advantage of.
Even when it feels silly and unnecessary, it's the intention behind it that matters most.
3. 'We need to talk'
For Gen Zers, a text like "we need to talk" often reads a lot more scary and ominous than their Gen X parents intend for it to be. Most of us have received a text like this, only to be ghosted for the next two hours by our parents who were just looking for a recipe.
There's a disconnect in digital communication that sometimes makes adult children roll their eyes. But the ease that texting and talking online offers allows all generations in a family to feel well-connected, even when the messages aren't always easily conveyed.
4. 'Are you getting my texts?'
Open communication is a large part of a healthy adult child and parent bond later in life. But constant communication or unrealistic expectations about when to be in touch can just as easily lead to tension and resentment.
Adult children with a lot on their plate and an adult life to attend to roll their eyes when parents guilt-trip them with "Are you getting my texts?" They don't want to constantly feel guilty for not being available to chat with their parents, even if they'd enjoy the conversation or spending time together.
5. 'Where are you?'
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Many adult children feel like kids again when they interact with their parents or get texts like this one. With parents who struggle to set and respect boundaries with their adult children, a seemingly harmless text like this could be an instant overstep.
Not every Gen X and boomer parent feels this need to be looped in on their adult children's lives. Plenty are happy to create space and find their own personal identity outside of parenthood again. But these are the kinds of texts that create tension over time.
6. 'Why didn't you tell me you were...'
Many older generations of parents struggle to accept the natural disconnection that comes from adult children growing up and starting their own lives. It's not easy for anyone, but especially for parents who have made parenthood their entire identity.
That's part of what fuels annoying texts like this. They feel somewhat entitled to knowing everything about their adult kids' lives, because being kept in the loop makes them feel needed and important again. But in some family dynamics, this is a clear overstep of boundaries.
7. 'Just pick up the phone'
Many young people are battling phone anxiety, despite growing up almost entirely online. They prefer texting and emailing, but when it comes to phone calls, they're either avoiding them entirely or sending people straight to voicemail. For people already living busy lives, answering a phone call from a parent in the middle of the day isn't a priority.
Not every Gen X or boomer parent guilt-trips their adult kids into keeping in contact or sends a text like this when they're not picking up the phone. But for the ones that do, their kids are annoyed. They're fully grown adults and shouldn't have to explain why they're too busy to hop on a phone call without context.
8. 'K'
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Single-word responses are especially annoying for younger generations. Used to speaking without punctuation and with all kinds of internet slang, a text like "K" or "fine" can come across more rude than it was intended to.
For Gen X and boomers, it's just clear communication. But for their adult children prone to reading into texts and decoding meaning, it's no surprise that they roll their eyes almost instantly.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
