Millennials Will Never Ever Admit How Much They Truly Appreciate These 12 Boomer Lessons
PeopleImages | Shutterstock Every generation is influenced by the one that came before them, even though they often don't want to admit it.
While younger generations joke that boomers are stuck in the past, there are a few lessons they've learned from boomers they're truly grateful for. They owe pivotal parts of their identity to what boomers taught them, lessons they've only come to appreciate as they creep up on middle age themselves.
Millennials will never ever admit how much they truly appreciate these 12 boomer lessons
1. The value of a strong work ethic
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One thing millennials learned from boomers is that a dedicated work ethic will carry them far. Millennials entered the workforce as the Great Recession took hold from 2007 to 2009, the most prolonged recession since World War II. During that era, the unemployment rate doubled.
Even though millennials entered a jobs market full of adversity, they learned to adapt, channeling their energy into side hustles and doing whatever they could to make ends meet. They believe a strong work ethic leads to success, rooted in the boomer “live to work” mentality. Millennials walk a thin line between equating productivity with self-worth and the understanding that pushing their limits leads to extreme burnout.
Ten thousand boomers reach retirement age every day, yet 49% are working past age 70 and have no plans to retire. Boomers aren’t releasing the reins of corporate power, which means millennials have even more job competition than other generations for their age.
Fortunately, they took the lesson of having a strong work ethic to heart and are still fighitng for their place.
2. The value of a home-cooked meal
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Another thing millennials learned from boomers that they secretly appreciate is the significance of a home-cooked meal. While boomers raised Gen X as latch-key kids who fended for themselves, they still valued a family meal. In a typical millennial childhood, having dinner together was seen as the best way to stay connected.
Millennials appreciate the lesson they learned from boomers about the importance of family dinners, but sometimes, striving for that ideal does more harm than good.
As psychologist Lisa Kaplan points out, “It's not a nourishing meal if mom is exhausted after making it ... What makes family dinner special and ‘nourishing’ is the time you spend together, not the gourmet level of the meal."
Boomers have also tried to teach millennials the lesson that cooking at home tends to be more affordable than dining out, at least for healthy food. When they were young, millennials may have laughted this off, but now they appreciate this as the truth.
3. The power of a heartfelt thank-you note
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Writing thank-you notes is something millennials learned from boomers that they secretly appreciate. When they were kids, sending thank-you notes was a tedious chore their parents forced them to do. But as adults, millennials understand the underlying reasons behind that specific boomer insistence.
Thank-you notes are more than just an expression of good manners. They’re a simple and accessible way to put gratitude into action. There’s a simple joy to be found in writing thank-you notes: The sensation of your hand moving across the page, the way the ink bleeds into paper, and the love and affection that arise.
Receiving a handwritten note means much more than a quick, impersonal “thank so much” text. Sending actual mail could be framed as an outdated activity that no longer matters, but millennials have learned that lost art of writing letters is worth taking the time for.
4. The importance of face-to-face communication
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Millennials learned the importance of talking face-to-face from boomers, something they may never admit, but truly value.
Millennials were the last generation born into a world without widespread internet. They straddled the line between being analog and chronically online. They had to make mistakes via text conversation to learn the boomer lesson of prioritizing in-person conversation.
Talking face-to-face is incredibly important in human connection. Psychology professor Thalia Wheatley notes, “Conversation is this ancient technology for aligning our brains so that we can be on the same page.”
Sharing physical space during a conversation creates an intimate atmosphere where people can move past the surface level and share who they are, ultimately bringing them closer. You can read body language and minute changes in facial expression that make a world of difference in connection.
5. Honoring family traditions
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Upholding family traditions is something millennials learned from boomers that became extra valuable when they had kids. They might complain about their parents’ expectations that they come home for every holiday, but deep down, they understand that the expectation comes from a place of love.
The importance of tradition extends beyond that warm, fuzzy feeling that routines provide. Passing traditions down preserves the story of where our families come from. It sets up a few very happy days in a person's life that they can look forward to throughout the seasons.
Millennials might not carry on family traditions precisely as they learned them, but they know that keeping each other close is all we have.
6. Prioritizing quality over quantity
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Boomers pride themselves on using the same toaster they’ve had since 1992. Sure, it’s held together with duct tape and burns the bread every time, but boomers see no need to replace household items that still (mostly) work. Millennials may have mocked their parents or grandparents for this, but when their own toaster stops working after two years, they learn the value of those old appliances that lasted forever.
Millennials put their spin on quality over quantity with their eco-conscious approach to consumerism. They prioritize locally sourced items that reduce their carbon footprint. Millennials are willing to pay extra so that their shopping habits align with their values because they know that investing in quality products is worth it, just like a boomer.
7. Staying civically engaged
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Boomers were known as revolutionaries, ushering in mid-century societal changes like civil rights, equality for women and the anti-war movement. They did their best to teach this to their millennial kids and grandkids, who may not have immediately appreciated the value of civic engagement.
Now, however, millennials are catching on and are so grateful for the lessons from the generation that lost trust in the government and understood the value of protesting and making their voices heard. Millennials know that whether or not they believe in the existing systems, they must remain engaged and work for change.
8. The joy of reading physical books
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Millennials learned to love reading actual books from boomers, and they may have been the last generation to do so. While many millennials fully embraced screen time and became iPad parents in their older age, they still hold tight to the lesson boomers taught them in childhood: Reading is food for the soul.
There are many benefits of reading actual books. Therapist Heather Rose Artushin notes that comprehension is six to eight times higher when reading physical books than from a screen. Turning pages while reading creates an “index” in our minds, where we map the words to a particular page, allowing us to retain information better.
Holding a book in our hands provides a tangible, embodied experience that millennials deeply cherish. For that, they'll be eternally grateful to their boomer parents and grandparents.
9. Displaying framed photos of people you love
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Displaying photos is something millennials learned from boomers that they secretly appreciate. While Gen Z may display photos on their phones and scroll through digital galleries, millennials still treasure the boomer art of framed pics.
Millennials treasure their experiences, and displaying photos in their home is a way to relive every moment. Keeping framed photos lets millennials see the people they love and the places that define them and share their people and memories with anyone who visits their home or desk.
This may seem outdated, but people of all ages love to look through them when folks display their photos like this. It truly is a lost art.
10. Practicing polite phone etiquette
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Millennials remember the olden days of landlines and answering machines. They're the last generation of kids who learned how to politely answer the phone, to take a message and how to talk to their friends' parents when they called another person's home.
While our relationship with phones has changed drastically since millennials were kids, they still value knowing how to converse with people they don't know and weren't expecting to speak with. The phone etiquette they learned from boomers laid a foundation for clear, direct communication, a lesson that never fades.
11. Finding joy in simple pleasures
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A millennial's pre-internet childhood experience taught them how to use their imaginations and find sweetness in simple pleasures. If a millennial kid was bored, their boomer parents told them that being bored meant they were boring, so they learned how to entertain themselves in any way they could.
As annoying as this was to them as kids, it cultivated their ability to entertain themselves. They learned to appreciate the simple joys in life and to make everyday things fun.
As adults, millennials still value the simple parts of life. Boomers showed them how to find joy in the mundane, a lesson they’ll never forget.
12. Resilience through tough times.
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Boomers taught millennials resilience, an essential part of surviving the harder parts of life. While some of their techniques were harsher than necessary, millennials learned to take what worked for them and leave the rest behind.
As they become the "mom and dad generation" in their communities, millennials are learning to shut down their inner critics with self-compassion, the ultimate form of emotional resilience. This boomer value is one they'll convey to their kids, and it is a gift they'll always appreciate.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.
