Parenting a Priority

Although only about a third (34%) of Millennials ages 18-29 have children, they are just as likely as their older counterparts to place high value on good parenting. About half (52%) say being a good parent is one of the most important things to them. This is considerably higher than the 42% of Gen-Xers who, when of a comparable age, told a 1997 survey that being a good parent was one of the most important things in their life. Millennial women are even more likely than Millennial men to say being a good parent is one of the most important things to them (56% vs. 48%). No similar gender gap exists among older generations. However, Millennials are somewhat less likely than those ages 30 and older (30% vs. 35%) to say having a successful marriage is one of their most important life goals. Among Millennials, whites are more likely than nonwhites to place a high priority on marriage. A third of non-Hispanic whites rank a successful marriage as one of the most important things in their life, compared with 25% of nonwhites. Read More