Millennials are driving disruption in retail with their preference for browsing and shopping online over brick-and-mortar stores. But a funny thing happens when they become homeowners - and especially when they become parents. While they still dream on Pinterest and check out YouTube and blogs for ideas and advice, suddenly the big box store has a purpose.

Marketers and the media love to label moms - Gen X moms, millennial moms, boomerang moms, Gen X moms raising young children like millennial moms, helicopter moms, tiger moms, attachment moms and, my new favorite, snowplow moms (guilty as charged).

We all know it. We all feel it. The stress, the joy, and the monumental exhaustion that goes along with being a mom. Moms today are bombarded by all kinds of responsibilities, from taking care of the family to working and everything in between. And along with all that responsibility comes the joy of worrying. We worry an awful lot. And if we have tween daughters, our worry is multiplied by 100. These days, it seems that our generation of mothers face more challenges than every generation before us.

Last weekend, I stopped into Target to pick up some sunblock. As I stood in the aisle scanning my options, I noticed a mom next to me with her daughter who appeared to be around 12 years old. The mom was also looking for sunblock but she had another digital tool at her disposal to help make her selection.

If there's one universally accepted truth about contemporary moms, it's that they are not the same as the mothers we grew up with. Whether you're a Baby Boomer, Gen Xer or Millennial, the woman who raised you differs significantly from today's moms.

How Millennial moms see themselves ... and how they want to be seen.

Last weekend, I stopped into Target to pick up some sunblock. As I stood in the aisle scanning my options, I noticed a mom next to me with her daughter who appeared to be around 12 years old. The mom was also looking for sunblock but she had another digital tool at her disposal to help make her selection. The mom handed her daughter three difference sunblock bottles all from three different manufacturers and she said, "Scan these on the Target app on my phone and see which one has a coupon offer." Her daughter obliged and when one of …

It's May, a time of year when moms are looking forward to the end of school, the start of summer and a more relaxed schedule. However, May is a slightly different story for the moms of more than 3.2 million high school students who have graduated or will graduate over the next couple of weeks. Brands that target moms of college students and their Gen Z co-eds have a valuable opportunity to tap into this enthusiastic consumer segment.

When marketing budgets were booming with no end in sight, advertisers ran dedicated ads for kids as well as for parents. After all, children need to want and love your brand, while parents need to be convinced that your brand is right for them.

Upheaval continues across the food industry as brands struggle to appeal to moms' desires for their families to eat healthier. But what do today's moms see as healthy eating? Low carb. Gluten free. Vegetarian. Low sugar. Paleo. "Clean" eating. What's next?