Parent-student relationship: the millennial phenomenon
Advisors in college and university settings are keenly aware of the strong relationship between this generation of students and their parents as witnessed by parental presence on campus and as reported by students in individual appointments. Parents are strong advocates for their children and often serve as informal advisors as their students make academic and career decisions. We find that their children welcome this level of involvement. Howe and Strauss (2000) in the book Millennials Rising: The Next Generation noted that Millennials, those born between 1982-2000, want to “feel protected” by their parents. They enjoy close relationships with their parents, strive for “balance” rather than “career success”. They accept their parents’ authority, “bask in the sense of being loved by parents” and rely on their advice for decision-making (pp. 179-186). Family involvement in education is simply second nature to these students.

This generation is in close contact with parents. Winogard and Hais (2008) noted that half of the  Millennials they surveyed said that they “see their parents in person every day”, while in this age of electronic devices, 45% talked with their parents daily (pg.83). At the same time, while this generation enjoys plenty of attention from their elders it is difficult to say if they are thriving or coddled as a result. A Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary, “Hyper Parents and Coddled Kids” stated that this generation experiences “higher levels of anxiety than any generation before them.”