Millennial Mom Shows Differences in How Boomer Parents Got Babies to Sleep

Having raised three children, JaLeigh Monsen, 30, knows exactly how much pressure is put on parents and how overwhelming it can be when bombarded with new information and advice at every turn.

In a viral video, Monsen wanted to show how much times have changed by having a discussion with her boomer mom, LeighAnn, 63, about the different advice they followed when raising their children. While Monsen said their parenting styles are "very similar," the millennial was surprised to learn how the advice for getting a baby to sleep has changed over the years.

Monsen learned that her mom put all five of her children on their stomachs for sleeping, but "the recommendations are almost opposite now." The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents to lay children on their backs while they sleep because it's thought that this reduces the risk of sudden unexpected death.

"With the differences in baby sleep specifically, it's back sleeping now versus belly sleeping back then," Monsen told Newsweek. "Or keeping the baby in your room for six to 12 months now, versus only a month or two back then. We're told to have nothing in the crib now, versus the bumper pads, blankets and stuffed animals then."

She continued: "I was surprised that parents were told to always lay babies on their bellies so they didn't aspirate on their spit or vomit. It's strongly encouraged now to only lay babies on their backs. I was also surprised that my mom frequently checked on us without a monitor, as I was under the impression that parents just put their babies in bed and didn't check on them until the morning."

Among the other recommendations from the AAP for keeping a baby safe while sleeping, parents are encouraged to use a firm, flat surface such as a crib or bassinet. Also, parents shouldn't sleep with their baby and should keep any loose objects out of the sleep area.

Why Has the Advice Changed So Much?

Over the years, there's been much research on the best practices for infants and children. While that may be well intended, Monsen suggests that the "influx of information" available can be a hindrance.

She continued: "There's just a lot more information and items nowadays that aren't always necessary. I feel like it might take away some of millennial parents' instincts at times.

"I also think any differences are from the influence of other parents my age. We see many different parenting approaches now, such as gentle parenting, where we try to focus more on the emotions and feelings. Sometimes we might not be able to believe our parents did certain things based on information we now know. I'm sure our children will think the same thing about us in the future," she said.

Despite her surprise at some earlier parenting practices, Monsen has no ill will toward older generations. She is thankful for the information available now, but sometimes she prefers to trust her instincts and do what feels best. While there's an abundance of professional experts, Monsen jokes that "parents are the only true experts."

How Did Social Media Users React?

Monsen shared the video on her Instagram account (@thingsiwishihadknown_) as part of a series highlighting how parenting advice has differed across the generations. Since the clip was posted online, it has already been viewed more than 1.4 million times and received over 17,300 likes.

Monsen certainly wasn't expecting her video to generate so much attention, but not all of it has been positive.

"The reaction has been interesting for sure," she said. "Lots of people called me condescending, judgmental and patronizing towards my mom and '80s moms in general. I can see how they would come to that conclusion based off my facial expressions, but they were taken out of context. I will say for every mean comment there was more than one nice comment.

"I was surprised how many people were triggered by this video when my intention was for it to be a lighthearted, fun conversation with my mom. This was not a video for giving advice or talking about who was right in which era," she said.

Given how much parenting advice has changed, Monsen has no doubt it will continue to evolve, and she's "excited to see the changes in the future."

The video has already gained more than 2,600 comments on Instagram, as many parents shared their thoughts about how their parenting has changed.

One comment reads: "I think this is so interesting. And a real testament to prove that this whole parenting thing we do is evolving all the time."

Another person responded: "I don't think this was meant to patronize our moms or older moms in general. It's a clear illustration how information we know has changed greatly over the past 35 years."

Another user said: "So cute! Now when your babes are grown up it'll be fun to see how things change."

If you have a parenting dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured in Newsweek.