The Two Hispanic Moms: The Fortress Keeper and The Concierge.

By Insight Tr3s

Mother’s Day is almost upon us – a time for celebrating all that mothers do for their families. With the goal of uncovering what the Hispanic parents of today are really like, Tr3s talked to Latino families as part of its 2012 research study coined “Hispanic Adult Millennials Living The Next Normal: Age Of Uncertainty”.

While some young Hispanics are parents themselves, others still live with their parents. As a result, there are key generational differences between the two most prevalent types of households where young Hispanics reside – those in families that are just starting out, and those who have yet to strike out on their own and continue to live in multigenerational households.

The Fortress Keeper
Among young Latino parents with small children, the desire to protect emerged as the biggest priority – especially for moms. In fact, the new Hispanic gatekeeper is really more of a fortress keeper, deciding what to keep out of kids’ lives and being very selective about what to let in. It’s important to note that “fortress keeping” isn’t limited to moms – young dads are also highly involved in controlling their children’s environments.

When it comes to their kids, Fortress Keepers are always on high alert for risk. They want to make sure their kids are safe and at a distance from anything that could harm them.

Fortress Keepers approach new products with suspicion. While young Hispanic moms are loyal to trusted brands, they are cautious with unfamiliar products because they could expose their kids to unknown risks.

When shopping for food products for their kids, Fortress Keepers look for healthy, organic, and natural. Fearing dangerous substances in less natural foods, they seek out options that they consider to be healthier for their kids.

Fortress Keepers themselves like to indulge in less healthy foods – and they’re in the closet about it, literally. They may want to steer their kids away from junk food, but many like to enjoy occasional guilty pleasures on the sly. Some confessed to eating cookies and crackers in the closet so their kids couldn’t see.

The Concierge: Mothers of Hispanic young adults still living at home often serve as the “concierge” of the household. Typically ages 35 to 54, The Concierge fulfills the stated and unstated needs of everyone in her large, multigenerational home. The Concierge and her millennial children still living in the household are uniting to make most of the family’s purchases.

Source: Tr3s 2012 “Hispanic Adult Millennials Living The Next Normal: Age Of Uncertainty”