If you have grandchildren in their late teens, 20s and 30s, you may wonder how best to communicate and connect with them. Young people born between about 1980 and 2000 are categorized as millennials, who now make up the biggest living generation of Americans.

Millennials have been the subject of significant media scrutiny, with not all of it positive. The fact is that many of these young people have seen their share of adversity in the job market, and their needs and desires are much more complex than some portrayals would indicate.

Here are five of our top tips for understanding and engaging with your millennial grandchildren.

Spend Time Listening

At their jobs, many young workers feel that their views are not respected. By listening to your grandchild talk about her fears and hopes for the future, you can strengthen your relationship. Despite the stereotypes, millennials want what their forebears wanted: security and peace of mind.

Share Your Wisdom

By sharing your own personal stories of your experiences at your grandchild’s age, you can further connect. You may be surprised at how interested your grandchild will be in your life story and any advice you can offer on navigating modern life.

Embrace Technology

Your grandchild will enjoy just sitting with you and talking in person, but to truly keep the conversation going, you may need to text and use social media. Many millennials have their phones as their constant companions and consider online communication to be just as valid and meaningful as talking by phone or face-to-face.

Find Common Interests

Through in-depth conversation with your grandchild, you may discover that you share a love of music, foreign films or photography. Some millennials have developed an interest in “vintage” technologies like vinyl record albums and film photography as antidotes to modern life. You may find great ways to connect through a pursuit of common interests or hobbies.

Help Them Remain Optimistic

Millennials are the most-educated generation so far, with 34 percent having earned at least a bachelor’s degree. As more young people go to college, finding a good job continues to get harder for those who ended their education with a high school diploma.

Even for those with a degree, the job market has been tough in recent years, and the unemployment rate among college-educated millennials is about twice that of the Silent generation at the same age.

Despite early struggles for some millennials, as a group they remain optimistic about the future. By sharing your wisdom and experience, you can further connect and help your grandchild maintain a sunny outlook on life.