The Nostalgia Boom Among Millennial Moms

Born between 1980 and 2000, most millennials grew up during more prosperous and relatively peaceful times. Toys, music, and television kept them entertained as children. Now that they’re on their feet in established careers and their own kiddos are coming, millennials hearken back to their own childhoods in less complicated times. The nostalgia boom among millennial moms is in full swing.

Nostalgia comes around for every generation, but millennials have been particularly susceptible. Their enthusiasm for vinyl records and cassette tapes, acid-washed mom jeans, sitcoms from the ’90s, and characters from children’s programs popular in their toddler years turn up now in things they buy for themselves and their kids. From Disney car seat covers to the type of hair fasteners they use (scrunchies, anyone?), millennial moms are enjoying a vicarious second childhood with their babies. In the process, they have reinvigorated trends from decades ago, adding a few new twists, to mix old and new in a fresh, fun way. Music, clothing, and baby gear become a signal to other moms that they “get” each other.

Millennial moms are technically savvy, and they love their phones. That’s why apps that reproduce old video games or use animated characters from the ’80s and ’90s became so popular. When millennial moms relax, they are just as likely to binge on reruns of ’90s sitcoms they’ve already seen countless times as they are to try a new program. They may lounge around in grunge plaid flannels or throw on a new pair of throwback sneakers in brands that were all the rage in the ’80s and ’90s.

The nostalgia boom among millennial moms is a fun, stress-relieving trend. Everything old that millennial moms enjoy is brand new to their babies, so these trends could stick around for a few decades more!