Gen Z Meets Gen X: A Mom's Reflection on Raising Teens Today

Gen Z Meets Gen X: What Happens When Scrappy Meets Savvy

There’s nothing quite like watching your 17-year-old son — who runs his own lawn care business, does his own laundry, and shops at thrift stores not for the aesthetic, but because it saves money — spend the summer building a custom-made "die game" table in your garage with his friends. They cut the wood, measured the frame, and painted the entire surface together — a colorful patchwork of logos, symbols, and inside jokes.

For those unfamiliar, "die" (or snappa) is usually a college drinking game where players throw a die across a table to score points. But Sean’s crew plays a points-only version — no alcohol, just competition and laughs.

It reminded me of how we used to flip our bikes over and pretend we were running ice cream shops. No manuals. No Pinterest how-tos. Just imagination, teamwork, and a little glitter if you had it.

It’s a strange and wonderful thing to be a Gen X parent raising a Gen Z kid. The contrasts are hilarious. The overlap? Surprisingly heartening.

The Gen X Childhood: Dirt Sundaes and Duct Tape Dreams

We grew up outside. Like, really outside. We were latchkey kids and cul-de-sac CEOs. Our play kitchens were made from flipped-over bikes, our menus were mud, and our craft supplies were whatever we could find at the bottom of the junk drawer.

We made things just to give them away. Yarn-wrapped sticks. Glitter-glued masterpieces. We'd hand them to our moms like we'd just handed over a Picasso.

No Pinterest boards. No parenting blogs. Just a whole lot of imagination, independence, and duct tape.

Gen Z Now: Independent, Intentional, and Low-Key Brilliant

Fast forward to today and my son is somehow... the same, but different.

He refuses to spend $5 on a store-bought birthday card, but will write his own — last minute, barely legible, but straight from the heart.

He makes money mowing lawns, saves it, and knows exactly what he wants to spend it on (usually not what I’d expect).

And when prom season rolled around, and I started in on the classic Gen X-style cautionary speech about drinking and driving, he stopped me and said, “Mom, it’s not going to happen. We already planned it. No one takes risks. We’ve got each other’s backs.”

Gen Z gets a lot of flack for being on their phones all the time, but if you look closer, you’ll see they’re aware, grounded, and more prepared than we were to handle real-life stuff. Quietly. Thoughtfully. Intentionally.

What We Passed Down (Without Even Realizing It)

What I’m starting to realize is that Gen Z actually inherited the best of us.

They’re:

Scrappy but careful
Thoughtful but not showy
Deeply loyal to their people
Practical, principled, and just rebellious enough to challenge the way things have always been done

They’re not trying to go viral. They’re trying to build something real.

And they are.

Still Handmade. Still Meaningful.

Watching this next generation grow up reminds me why I started Firefly Wishes in the first place.

I didn’t launch this business to mass-produce stuff. I started it to create meaningful keepsakes. Things you give to someone you love. Things that help you mark a moment — a graduation, a first apartment, a wedding day, a new home.

Back then, we gave glitter sticks to our moms. Now we create towels, ornaments, crosses, and gifts that still carry that same handmade heart.

The spirit behind it? It’s the same.

So Here’s to the Bridge Between Generations

To the Gen X parents who still remember what it felt like to eat an imaginary banana split made from driveway gravel.

To the Gen Z teens who are smarter, kinder, and more capable than we sometimes give them credit for.

And to the moments — big and small — that deserve to be celebrated and remembered.

If you’re a Gen X mom shopping for your Gen Z teen — for senior year, an 18th birthday, a first apartment, or just to mark this fleeting, beautiful season — I’d be honored if you found something here that speaks to your story.

Click here to see Senior Year gifts & more milestones.