When kids were growing up in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, they were expected to make themselves useful. Most of them had specific chores they were assigned to do at least weekly, on top of the daily tasks they were responsible for taking care of on their own.<\/p>\n
Because they often resented these duties, and also because academic expectations became even more intensive over the last few decades, many didn’t assign the same level of responsibility to their own kids. As a result, Gen X and millennials usually still take care of several things that people in younger generations are pretty much able to avoid dealing with.<\/p>\n
Younger generations basically avoid doing several things that people raised in the 60s, 70s, and 80s usually take care of<\/h2>\n1. Mowing the lawn<\/h3>\n
A recent survey from Tractor Supply found that older generations spend an average of between $626 and $710 monthly on lawn care, while the average Gen Zer spends only around $100. Mowing the lawn was one of the most common chores assigned to Gen X and millennials as kids, but Gen Z sees this responsibility as a problem.<\/p>\n The Sierra Club shares that “young people are sharing anti-lawn memes, on the grounds that lawns lack native biodiversity, demand excess amounts of water and toxic chemicals, and symbolize racial exclusion (many of the same neighborhood HOAs that established rules for lawns also barred selling homes to people of color).”<\/p>\n Their parents and grandparents may see their lawns as a point of pride and see doing lawn care and gardening themselves as a frugal way to save money while beautifying their space, but Gen Z would rather avoid both the hard work and any additional contribution to environmental and societal problems.<\/p>\n RELATED: 15 Things Every Gen X Kid Had In Their House Growing Up, Pretty Much Without Exception<\/strong><\/p>\n Gen Z is known for outsourcing services for convenience, so it\u2019s really no surprise that it never crosses their mind to replace their own brake pads or change their own oil. Some Gen Zers are even\u00a0opting out of getting a driver\u2019s license entirely, so these routine maintenance obligations aren\u2019t even on the table for many of them.<\/p>\n Yes, there are exceptions, with many\u00a0young people doing their own maintenance and being somewhat self-sufficient, but when it comes to fixing things themselves, Gen Xers raised in this time period have it far more under control. They were taught from a young age to do things themselves, and often spent many weekends out in the garage working on cars and learning these practical skills.<\/p>\n For many people who grew up in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, sewing on a loose button or patching a pair of jeans was part of everyday life. If a zipper broke or a hem came undone, the first instinct was to fix it rather than throw the item away.<\/p>\n Today, replacing clothing is often faster and, in some cases, cheaper than repairing it. Fast fashion and online shopping have made it easy to buy a new shirt or pair of pants with just a few clicks, so fewer younger adults have learned basic sewing skills or think to repair something before replacing it. While interest in mending and other traditional crafts has started to make a comeback, older people are still generally much more likely to reach for a needle and thread before reaching for their credit card.<\/p>\n RELATED: 10 Old-School Hobbies From The 60s & 70s That Protected People’s Peace Back In The Day<\/strong><\/p>\n Older people often feel more comfortable having a physical copy of important documents like tax returns, insurance policies, warranties, medical records, and birth certificates that they can keep organized in folders or filing cabinets, making it easy to pull out exactly what they need when they need it. Keeping their records organized is something they consider a basic part of being a responsible adult.<\/p>\n In a hyper-digital world, Gen Z is used to saving important documents on their phones or computers. Everything is available to them online, so they are much more likely to rely on cloud storage and digital folders instead. They scan or download important documents and store them in the cloud rather than printing them out and filing them away. While digital storage offers obvious advantages in convenience and accessibility, it also means many younger adults never developed the habit of maintaining a traditional paper filing system.<\/p>\n There was a time when furniture was expected to last for decades. People would polish their tables and condition their leather sofas to keep them looking as close to new as possible for quite a long time. Taking care of those pieces was an expected part of protecting an investment that was meant to stay in the family.<\/p>\n Much of today’s furniture is less expensive and designed with affordability in mind, making it easier to replace than repair. At the same time, many younger adults are renting and furnishing their homes on tighter budgets, so spending time maintaining lower-cost furniture doesn’t always make practical or financial sense.<\/p>\n RELATED: 10 Smells Every Gen-X Person Will Remember From Their Slightly Toxic Childhood <\/strong><\/p>\n More than\u00a0two-thirds of Gen Z struggles with basic cooking skills, usually because they grew up with parents who did most of it for them. Kids\u00a0don\u2019t learn to cook by watching. They learn by doing. Ironically, their parents remember the stress of learning these skills on their own all too well, which partially accounts for their more hands-on parenting style.<\/p>\n Their lack of cooking skills is one reason convenience culture has taken off with young people. They\u2019re used to relying on premade meals and food delivery, and they also prefer to spend money on experiences, so they enjoy doing things like going to get coffee or dinner with friends. They avoid cooking for themselves because they either can’t or don’t want to.<\/p>\n Roughly\u00a030% of young people today don\u2019t even own an iron, so it\u2019s not surprising that this once standard chore is going out of style quickly. Dress codes are changing because most Gen Zers are opting for comfortable, self-expressive clothing instead of button-downs and suits that require some form of ironing or steaming on a daily basis.<\/p>\n In a culture of convenience, those young people who are ironing are outsourcing to save time. Yes, it\u2019s more expensive, but when it\u2019s not a standard part of their lifestyle, as it was and is for many Gen Xers, it\u2019s clearly not worth their time.<\/p>\n RELATED: 11 Traditional Habits That Were Common In The 60s & 70s That Are Now Seen As \u2018Rude\u2019 By Most Of Gen Z<\/strong><\/p>\n Whether they\u2019re actually using and balancing a checkbook or just monitoring the expenses coming out of a bank account, managing their finances in a hands-on way is second-nature for most Gen X and millennials. However, Gen Zers are\u00a0more likely to avoid checking in on their finances or monitoring them closely as a coping mechanism for their anxiety about money.<\/p>\n It feels more comfortable to them to spend what they have and ignore what is or isn’t in their bank accounts. They also don’t see much reason to balance a physical checkbook when they can go online or look in their app when they do want to get a sense of what’s going on.<\/p>\n Many Gen Zers\u00a0avoid accepting and storing family heirlooms, partially because of space constraints and partially because of money barriers.<\/p>\n Compared to older generations who held onto family heirlooms, viewing them as cherished pieces full of value and memories, it\u2019s a stark difference. Whether it\u2019s polishing china or taking care of jewelry from a parent, they value and respect the kind of investments their parents made, compared to young people used to spending money on things that can be easily replaced.<\/p>\n![\"Older](\"https:\/\/www.yourtango.com\/sites\/default\/files\/image_blog\/2026-07\/people-raised-in-the-sixties-seventies-and-eighties-usually-take-care-of-things-younger-generations-avoid-lawn-care.png\" "\\"lawn")
<\/span> Fast-stock | Shutterstock.com<\/span><\/p>\n2. Routine car maintenance<\/h3>\n
3. Fixing their own clothes<\/h3>\n
4. Printing and filing paperwork<\/h3>\n
5. Keeping their furniture in good condition<\/h3>\n
![\"older](\"https:\/\/www.yourtango.com\/sites\/default\/files\/image_blog\/2026-07\/people-raised-in-the-sixties-seventies-and-eighties-usually-take-care-of-things-younger-generations-preserving-furniture.png\" "\\"preserving")
<\/span> U.J. Alexander | Shutterstock.com<\/span><\/p>\n6. Cooking meals from scratch<\/h3>\n
7. Ironing their clothes<\/h3>\n
8. Balancing their checkbooks<\/h3>\n
9. Taking care of family heirlooms<\/h3>\n
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.yourtango.com\/sites\/default\/files\/image_blog\/2026-07\/people-raised-in-the-sixties-seventies-and-eighties-usually-take-care-of-things-younger-generations-managing-family-heirlooms.png\" "\\"managing")
<\/span> PeopleImages | Shutterstock.com<\/span><\/p>\n