Do Gen Z Want To Be Parents?

There are so many stereotypes about Gen Z it’s hard to keep track of where they’re really at: they’re a sexless generation, they’re the most sensitive because they have a victim mentality. They want to be parents, they don’t want to have babies because they’re worried about the planet; they’ll be the best parents… oh no, wait, they’ll be the worst. 

But parenting has changed a lot over the years and what went for one generation can completely change for another. With all the unpacking of toxic masculinity, changing attitudes towards work and greater acceptance of LGBTQIA+ identities, we predict that will make for radically different parenting. So, to get down to the truth of the matter (and of course there is no one answer) we surveyed out Gen Z audience to delve into whether they want to be parents and what Gen Z will be like as parents, from different parenting styles to how they want to talk to their kids about sex.

We start by asking them about their relationship with their parents, what they were told about sex and relationships growing up and how they want to change that when they talk to their kids about sex. That is, if they even want to have kids, so we asked who they want to have kids with and how they’d want to raise them if they do. We also asked how Gen Z think attitudes towards sex have changed from generation to generation, including what their grandparents and parents think and how that impacts their relationship with their families.

We hope you have enjoyed our Family, Parenting & Sex miniseries; if you have please leave us a (5 star!) review wherever you listen and don’t forget to subscribe to make sure you don’t miss our next one. You can find more of us on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @sextraspodcast or our website and you can get in contact with us at sextraspodcast@gmail.com to request future episodes. Pitching guidelines are on our website. See you next time!

Produced by Mable Productions

Original music by Sacha Puttnam

Parenting, Family & Sex Miniseries

Family, Parenting & Sex Miniseries

Episode 1 How Sex Changes With Age (with Beducated co-founder Mariah Freya)

Episode 2 Deciding to Have Kids & Outgrowing Relationships (with Jessica Hendry Nelson)

Episode 3 Having Sex After Birth (with Smile Makers Collection)

Episode 4 How To Talk To Your Kid About Sex (with Dr Tina Schermer Sellers)

Episode 5 Do Gen Z Want To Be Parents?

We might choose to ignore the fact that family has anything to do with how we behave around, or think about, sex and relationships. But what we’re told, or not, by our parents, siblings and even grandparents lays the groundwork for how we choose a partner, sexual or otherwise. Becoming a parent ourselves can turn that all on its head, changing the time we have available for our pleasure and informing how we raise our children.

So we’re here to talk about it. Across five episodes we explore the links between family/ parenting and sex/ relationships. Join Mariah Freya (founder of pleasure-based sex education site Beducated) in the first episode, to discuss how sex changes throughout life. Author Jessica Hendry Nelson joins us in our second episode to tell us how she dealt with grief as a new mother and in our third episode Cecile Gasnault (brand director of sex toy company Smile Makers Collection) unpacks the difficulties of having sex after giving birth. In episode four we’re joined by Dr Tina Schermer Sellers to discuss how to raise kids in a shame-free and sex-positive way before we unpack how Gen Z want to raise children in the final episode.

We can’t wait to get into it and hope you learn as much from our amazing guests as we did. Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you can follow along!