This Millennial tried to teach her Boomer mum gentle parenting – and Grandma was not having it

In a hilarious TikTok, a Millennial daughter corrects her Boomer mum’s every move as she attempts to use gentle parenting with her grandchild - and her mum’s reactions are priceless.

If you’ve ever tried to explain gentle parenting to your own mum and been met with confusion, concern, or laughter so loud it could wake the baby - you’re not alone.

A TikTok by US creator Taylor Wolfe (@TheDailyTay) has gone viral with over 11 million views for hilariously capturing the parenting culture clash between generations. In the reel, Taylor calmly attempts to guide her Boomer mother through some of the unwritten rules of Millennial parenting, offering corrections on what she should and shouldn't say to her grandchild.

Her mum’s reactions? Peak Boomer. Confused, sassy and - honestly - relatable.

It’s the ultimate mash-up of two parenting worlds: one rooted in firm boundaries, “be careful” warnings and being told to “get up, you’re fine”; the other built on emotion coaching, empowerment, and encouraging toddlers to process their feelings before they smack their sibling with a wooden banana.

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@thedailytay

GENTLE HANDS. 🙃🫶🏻🤭❤️ #fyp #millennialsoftiktok #momsoftiktok #gentleparenting #parentsoftiktok #foryoupag #comedyvideo

♬ original sound - TaylorWolfe

“We don’t say be careful anymore”

The lesson begins innocently enough. Grandma says “Be careful!” to her grandchild and is swiftly corrected by Taylor.

“We don’t say be careful anymore. Instead say, ‘What’s your plan here?’”

Without missing a beat, Grandma replies, “I don’t even know my plan. Do you know your plan?”

And honestly? Same.

Boomers raised us in an era of free-range parenting where “be careful” usually came after we’d fallen out of the tree and broken something. Now we’re supposed to ask toddlers to develop a strategic plan before climbing the couch?

RELATED: Mum's toddler boundary-setting sparks debate among parents

Boomer vs Millennial parenting goes viral. Image: TikTok/ATheDailyTay

The ‘gentle everything’ approach

Next, Grandma says, “Don’t. Stop hitting your sister.”

Cue the correction: “Don’t say stop, say gentle.”

Grandma: “Gentle what?”

Taylor: “Gentle hands.”

Grandma, now on the verge of a breakdown: “Gentle hands? What else is gentle?”

Taylor, with the resigned patience of a parent who’s just googled “how to apologise to a toddler”: “Everything. Gentle everything.”

We are officially raising a generation of tiny monks. Meanwhile, Boomers were dishing out old-school parenting gems like “stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about” and somehow we’re the emotionally fragile ones?

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Don’t say “I’m proud of you”

Then there’s the part that really breaks Grandma’s spirit.

She lovingly tells her grandchild, “I’m so proud of you,” only to be told, “You’re not supposed to say that.”

Apparently, the issue is that it centres the adult’s feelings. Instead, you’re supposed to say: “You should be proud of yourself.”

Grandma, trying to keep up: “I AM so proud.”

Taylor: “No! That’s back on you again.”

At this point Grandma is probably wondering if she's allowed to speak at all. It's only a matter of time before someone suggests replacing her with a positive affirmation wall decal.

Rushing is cancelled

Later, Grandma tries to hustle things along with a classic “Hurry up, we’ve gotta go.”

Wrong again. “Don’t rush her,” Taylor says calmly. “If you rush children, it makes them anxious. You always rushed us, and I’m anxious.”

Grandma, now deeply regretting all past school drop-offs: “I never rushed you, we were just always late.”

Taylor: “Exactly. And I’m anxious because we were always late.”

Grandma, desperate: “What am I supposed to say then?”

Taylor, thinking hard: “…Gentle.”

Let’s take a moment to appreciate that “gentle” has now evolved from a parenting philosophy into a lifestyle - a full-on mantra capable of replacing any word in the English language. Next time someone cuts me off in traffic, I might just shout “gentle!” and see what happens.

RELATED: 'We can tell if you gentle parent your kids'

Praise gets an overhaul

In another moment, Grandma says “Good job!” to her grandchild. Taylor gently corrects her again - “Say good choice.”

Grandma, resigned: “Thank you.”

Taylor: “No, not to me. Say good choice to her.”

Grandma, now running on fumes: “Good choice.”

She’s trying. She really is. But you can see her soul leaving her body with every gentle redirect.

The safety talk that broke her

But the final straw? Grandma tries a good old-fashioned “Watch out!”

Taylor: “No. Say, ‘Do you feel safe here?’”

And that’s when Grandma, on the brink of collapse, mutters the most relatable line of the entire video:

“I don’t feel safe about any of this shit.”

Same, Grandma. Same.

But here’s the thing: both generations want the same thing. For the kids to be loved, safe, and (hopefully) not biting their siblings.

So maybe the next time Grandma says “Good job,” and your toddler doesn’t dissolve into anxiety, we can all take a moment and think: “Good enough.”

Or better yet: gentle.

Originally published as This Millennial tried to teach her Boomer mum gentle parenting – and Grandma was not having it