Parenting Trends That You May Not Follow But You Can’t Shy Away From

Earlier this year, The Times of India published this piece as the Parenting Trends to Watch Out for in 2017. But we feel, they are here to stay for longer and communities like BabyChakra are leading the way!

Read on what they say…

When it comes to parenting, there is no one rule that fits all. Every parent is different and there is no incorrect technique to bring up your child. But as this year comes to an end, we feel some parenting trends will be big in the coming year.

These new trends that we believe will embrace the New Year, take into account everything from the invasion of technology in our lives to a more evolved and enlightened parenting style. Nitin Pandey, founder CEO, Parentune.com, a rapidly growing online parenting community says, “With more double-income families, increased access to technology and change in family dynamics, we are already seeing the rise of some interesting parenting trends.”

Here they are:

Better technology to monitor kids

Nitin explains, “Not only in metropolitan cities, but the trend of day cares have come up in a big way in smaller cities too, with more and more families becoming nuclear and double income. Understandably, kid’s safety is a big concern for parents who send their kids to day care centers. While many centers are already offering online access to parents to watch their child’s activities any time of the day, there may be many more innovative techniques coming into play the next year.” 2017 is expected to witness better and stronger technology assistance for parents.

Longer breastfeeding

We have been told that new mothers should breastfeed their babies up to a minimum of 6-9 months. And most mothers were doing just that. Clearly, breastfeeding is a personal choice, but most mothers who carried on beyond 2 years or more, shied away from telling people for the fear of being judged; simply because the concept of limited breastfeeding is wired in our minds. Fitness instructor, Silky Saures shares, “In India, extended breastfeeding is tough as compared to the West. I’d breastfed my daughter for three years and this was a common practice where I was born (Munich). I suggest mothers to buy a breastfeeding sling to breastfeed in public places and make it acceptable here too. Honestly, I wouldn’t have done it any differently and I tell other moms the same thing. Don’t be ashamed.”

Cease over – sharenting

Parents love their kids and they don’t shy away from expressing that online, across social platforms. Most kids have their own social media pages before they even turn one. And some make their social media debut with ultrasound pictures too! All in all, before these kids actually go on to realize how the social media system works, they already have an online personality that has been shaped to depth by their parents. Stacey Steinberg, a law professor and the associate director of Center on Children and Families, Florida wrote in a post, “Parents don’t share information online maliciously, they just fail to consider the potential reach or longevity of what’s happening to the information they are posting online.” All this puts the child’s safety at risk. Many parents have started to realize it already, thus, the trend of over-sharenting will in all probability see a downward spiral the next year.

Gender-neutral toys

Barbies for girls, Hot Wheels for boys. Don’t you think these limit a child’s imagination as well as her skills? Not only for breaking stereotypes but kids should have equal access to new concepts that will not limit their boundaries of what they should like and what they should be like. They should decide what’s more fun for them and not us. “Many parents are already opting for gender neutral toys and this is expected to get bigger the next year,” says Sujata Tripathi, headmistress of a Noida school.

Rise of the expert nanny

Today when parents hire a nanny in India, they just see if the caregiver is hygienic and active enough to take care of the kid’s immediate needs but there is an emerging trend of hiring nannies with medical licenses, proper educational background, ability to speak in English and more.

Do you agree with these trends? Share your thoughts on these trends or any other trends that you have your views on! 

Happy parenting!

_{This article was originally published in The Times of India.}

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