Has the generation gap finally closed? If a new survey is to be believed, it has. Children's cable network Nickelodeon and research firm Harris Interactive recently released a major study called "The Family GPS," based on interviews with about 1,000 grandparents, 2,000 parents, and 2,000 kids ages 8 to 21. The researchers' conclusion: "The generation gap is a thing of the past." According to the survey:One in four grandparents recalled feeling extremely close to their kids when they were raising them, but three out of four parents today said they feel extremely close to their kids. Also, the No. 1 reported worry of today's parents, ahead of work, health, or income, was "spending enough time with my kids." Half of all parents said they shared this worry, but only a quarter of grandparents said they recalled feeling the same way when they were raising their kids.Three out of four kids said they share their parents’ beliefs; 44 percent of moms and daughters said they share a taste in clothes; and two-thirds of all kids and parents said they share a taste in music. Often, it’s the kids listening to the parents’ music, the researchers concluded, thanks to popular games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. One-third of parents and kids share music with each other electronically.Parents are doing a better job than they think. Kids, for example, gave their moms higher grades for their parenting than the moms gave themselves. And parents who reported being strict with their kids were also closer to their kids than other parents.Family income, race, and region of the country had no effect on how close parents, grandparents, and kids felt to each other. But families who went to religious services together, and especially those who vacationed together, felt closer than others.
Families Without Gaps
How does the closing of the generation gap play out in your families? We asked our Facebook followers for their thoughts:
"I grew up in the fifties and sixties and loved all of the music I could dance to (and still do) so I shared the enjoyment of good music and movies with my kids, and now do so with my grandkids. We all feel it's just a natural thing to do. We have never felt 'the generation gap' and that makes life so much fun for me, as a mom and grandmom!" — Julie
"I think we share more values and experiences now than ever before. My grandkids like to hang out with Nana. Of course, they're not teenagers yet. However, when my children were teens, I think we were closer than 'they' give us credit for." — Joyce
"I would hope that the generations share values more, but when I see reports about the level of bullying going on with children today it makes me wonder: Was that as pervasive in the sixties but just didn't make the news? I'm sure the abundance of communication devices available to children today has something to do with it." — Boomer Grandparent
"They keep us thinking young and in return we help them think ahead to have an idea of what might be in their future." — Suzie
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