Think for a moment: what’s that parenting decision that you’ve been avoiding? Putting it off for later… hoping it’ll just disappear… and maybe the question of what to do will be mysteriously and miraculously solved. Maybe you’re feeling anxious about making a choice, worried that you’ll do the wrong thing, or uncomfortable with the options…
In August 2023, the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health surveyed a group of 614 parents who had at least one 0-4 year old child.1 They asked about the use of social media to share parenting ideas. 80% of these parents of young children (84% of mothers and 69% of fathers) use…
“That’s not how things used to be.” Have you heard this comment at any point in your parenting journey? Maybe it’s been your own parents, your in-laws, uncles, aunts, godparents, or older friends in your family’s life, reflecting back on what parenting decisions used to look like when they had young kids. When it comes…
We’ve all heard the phrase “It takes a village to raise a child.” It hearkens back to a simpler age when kids roamed the neighborhood with their friends, and aunts, uncles, grandparents, and other family played a significant role in children’s lives. Although village parenting looks much different for modern parents, we all still have…
No matter how much time we spend with our children, we aren’t going to be with them 100% of their life. Other caring adults also play an important role in raising them and forming their character. Thinking back to your own childhood, you may have fond memories of a favorite aunt, grandparent, or babysitter. Family,…
Maybe like us, you’ve seen some of the recent social media posts about “turning off the voices.” It seems the latest trend taking over the parenting internet is all about intuition. Unfollow, delete, close the app, shut out the external information and parenting experts and rely solely on your own gut feelings when you’re making…
If you’re newer to the world of the parenting internet, or don’t have many other friends with kids, you may not have heard the term “crunchy mom”. It likely originated from the sound of eating granola, which is usually connected to a hippie lifestyle. Other similar descriptors are “holistic parenting” or “natural parenting.” These refer…
Perhaps it’s a family member, or a close friend, or someone on social media. We can all probably remember a situation where someone has made a comment, suggested we do something differently, or recommended a resource. Yet their parenting advice goes against what you’ve found is the best way for your family. Thinking through the…
As I sat down to write this, I googled “parenting labels 2024”. It turns out that there are even more than I expected! Your parenting style could be lawnmower parent, elephant parent, tiger parent, dolphin parent, attachment parent, helicopter parent, hummingbird parent, lighthouse parent, or free range parent. Psychologists use four broad categories for parenting…
