Jeridah Andayi explains why Gen X parents no longer argue with their Gen Z children
By Paulette Mboga, June 13, 2026Veteran radio presenter Jeridah Andayi has shared her thoughts on parenting Gen Z children, saying many Gen X parents have reached a point where they no longer spend time arguing, convincing, or negotiating with their children.
According to Andayi, many parents who are still trying to explain things repeatedly to their children should know they are in a better place than others who have already moved on from that stage.
“Halafu kama wewe ni mzazi, uko na watoto na uko stage ukiwaambia kitu hawafanyi, ama unaona hawakuelewi, unaanza kuwafundisha tena life lessons, kuwakumbusha wewe ni mama yao, you are still at a good place,” Jeridah Andayi said on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
She explained that for many Gen X parents, the approach to parenting has changed over time. Instead of going back and forth with their children, they now choose to give guidance and allow them to make their own choices.
Andayi said this shift comes after years of trying different ways to communicate lessons and advice. She suggested that some parents have learned that not every lesson can be taught through words alone.
“Wengi wetu tumefika ile place ya I said what I said, do what you will,” Andayi said.
Lessons through experience
Andayi explained that many Gen X parents are raising Gen Z children and have adjusted how they respond when their children choose not to follow instructions or advice.
“We’re the Gen X parents to Gen Z,” Andayi said.
She noted that there was a time when parents would spend more effort trying to persuade their children to see things from their point of view. That, she said, is no longer the case for many families.
“We used to argue. We used to convince. We used to negotiate,” Andayi said.
According to her, many parents now prefer to give instructions and then step aside, allowing their children to face the outcomes of the decisions they make.
“Now? We give the instruction and step aside,” Andayi said.
Andayi explained that life itself teaches lessons that parents cannot always teach through repeated conversations. She said every decision comes with a result, whether good or bad.
“Because life won’t negotiate with them either,” Andayi said.
She added that every choice has a consequence and that some lessons are only learned when people experience the results of their own decisions. According to her, this is the reality many Gen X parents have come to accept while raising Gen Z children.