Gifted Baby Boomers, How They Were Raised, and How They Raised You

… and how it might still be affecting you, your parenting, and your relationships

This article is the first in a series about giftedness through the lifespan and the generations before you. My doctoral dissertation study on which this series of articles is based is specifically about the Baby Boomer Generation, born between 1946 and 1964. Here are the living generations as described by Strauss and Howe:

• The Greatest Generation (born 1901–1927)
• The Silent Generation (born 1928–1945)
• Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964)
• Generation X (born 1965–1980)
• Millennials (born 1981–1995)
• Generation Z (born 1996–2010)
• Generation Alpha (born 2011–2025)

The study uses case studies of 41 highly gifted adults who were all part of the Baby Boomer generation, the one I am in. There are generational effects related to the zeitgeist — that is, the history going on at the time groups of human beings were living their lives.

What were the pressing circumstances each generation had to deal with, face, endure, or benefit from? If you ever wonder where on Earth your parents or grandparents got their ideas, this series of articles might…