Parenting is full of joys and challenges, with many decisions to make along the way. Recently, new parenting trends have popped up, often driven by social media and changing societal norms. While some trends bring new ideas and solutions, some controversial tactics inevitably stir heated debates.
Recently, a Reddit user started an interesting discussion by asking others to share the parenting trends they strongly dislike. This led to a flood of opinions, showing the diverse beliefs and values of parents worldwide. Below, we’ve gathered some of the most eye-opening, honest, and thought-provoking arguments to share with you.
1. Making your child’s entire identity revolve around their extracurricular activities
sweetopportunityy: Making your child’s entire identity revolve around their extracurricular activities. Let them be kids, not robotic machines for your bragging rights.
2. Not teaching children proper manners
Fun_Intention_5371: Not teaching children proper manners/behavior
Please and thank you go a long a*s way in this life.
Also not helping kids with conversation skills. Conversation usually goes back and forth. With no phones involved.
3. Oversharing kids’ lives on social media
aileen_feder: The trend of oversharing kids’ lives on social media. It’s like turning your child’s childhood into a reality TV show.
4. When people dress up their baby girls in outfits a woman should be wearing
hatterhag: I hate when people dress up their baby girls in outfits a woman should be wearing. Like there are little girls outfits that are adorable and meant for a little girl. But no little girl should be wearing a body suit and ripped jeans or a crop top and low rise bellbottoms, it gives me the creeps.
5. I hate the “Autism Mom” thing
ChelleDotCom: I guess this is kinda specific, but my son is autistic, so it applies to me. I hate the “Autism Mom” thing. The t-shirts, the unsolicited “advocacy”…it seems like an attention seeking thing to me. My kid has autism, ADHD, and anxiety, and it takes approximately 5 seconds of being around him to notice. I will fight for him always, of course, but I won’t use him as a badge either. I won’t hide his diagnosis from him, but I won’t let him use it as an excuse either.
And some of those shirts get borderline threatening too…”If you want to know fear, fight an autism mama bear”…or something like that.
6. Letting kids be kids
Am_0116: I’ve seen a small yet growing trend of homeschooled kids where the parents are completely neglectful of actual education and basically let the kid do whatever they want. They don’t follow standardised curriculum for the sake of “letting kids be kids.” If your kid can barely read at 10 years old, you’re setting them up to fail as an adult.
7. Parents not having even minimal standards for their children’s behavior
GoodFriday10: Parents not having even minimal standards for their children’s behavior, and expecting other people to be alright with it. I really don’t care that he is having “big feelings.” He is lying in the aisle of the supermarket, screaming at the top of his lungs, having a full blown tantrum because you said no. Grow a pair.
8. Never saying no to your child.
User-1967: Never saying no to your child.
9. Pranking your kids or playing jokes on them
Violet_Mermaid: Pranking your kids or playing jokes on them. Not all kids understand it’s a joke and it really upsets them. I hate seeing videos of parents thinking it’s ok to throw things at their kids or make them do dumb stuff for amusement. Like the cheese challenge thing. Throwing food at babies….awful behavior.
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10. Parents not watching their own behavior
kimtenisqueen: I’m gonna go in a little bit of a different direction: parents not watching their own behavior when it comes to screen time, frustration tolerance, discipline, etc.
You’ve got to dig deep and figure out how to role model the behaviors you want your kids to do. If you are on your phone 24/7 and throw a fit every time the slightest thing inconveniences you you aren’t gonna have a good time with your kids doing anything different.
11. Child vlogging
Substantial-Grape597: Child vlogging, its a bit weird tbh and I feel like things are gonna go to s**t for the parents when the kids become adults.
12. Taking your kids to a restaurant and putting screens in their hands
contrariwise65: Taking your kids to a restaurant and putting screens in their hands. How are kids going to learn how to behave in polite society if you don’t train them how to behave in social situations?
13. Allowing your children to follow the same path of obesity
Chemical_Party7735: Being overweight and allowing your children to follow the same path of obesity.
(Yes I get sometimes it’s genetics, but genetics is not why appx 1/3 of Americans are obese and why the rest of the world isnt).
14. Weird orthorexic parents who make their entire personality their kids’ hundreds of allergies
Lucyinthskyy: Weird orthorexic parents who make their entire personality their kids’ hundreds of allergies . Gluten free, dairy free, nut free , meat free . EVERYTHING FREE! I’m sorry, I do not believe them.
15. Confusing gentle parenting with permissive parenting
heirloom_beans: Confusing gentle parenting with permissive parenting.
You can be both gentle and authoritative. Authoritative is *not* authoritarian; it is the role of a parent to provide structure and boundaries for their children while also allowing them to feel their emotions and deal with the ups and downs of being a kid. Go ahead and soothe your children when they are upset and give them a safe space to calm down but you do not have to cushion their world for them in order to avert a meltdown.
16. Never telling your kid no
nannymegan: Never telling your kid no. You’re creating a monster that is going to ruin your life some day. Boundaries and consequences are essential to any kid- well human even- being successful in the world we live in.
