Parenting styles have indeed evolved significantly over the years, adapting to changes in society, technology, and cultural norms. While there has been a shift from more traditional, authoritarian approaches to more modern, collaborative methods, one thing that remains constant is parents’ fear of making mistakes or not meeting their children's needs effectively.    

What is Gentle Parenting?

Parents these days often hear the buzzword gentle parenting. Is it the right style of parenting? This question usually repeats in parents’ minds. Gentle parenting is a proven way to help your kids grow up feeling happy and confident. It's made up of four important parts - empathy, respect, understanding, and boundaries. The idea is to encourage the qualities you want to see in your child by being kind and setting fair rules that you stick to. It is a peaceful and positive style of parenting. Parents may hesitate to adopt a gentler approach because they fear losing authority or control. They are concerned that it might result in their child not understanding what is acceptable or safe behaviour towards themselves and others. While this concern is understandable, parents can be reassured that gentle parenting does not mean avoiding discipline.

Understanding Gentle Parenting | Tips

Here are some gentle parenting tips that can help you start incorporating it into your day-to-day life.

• Parents must try and separate the action from the child when they are highlighting the child’s mistake. This tells the child that anyone can commit mistakes but the mistakes do not define who they are.

• Be kind towards yourself and others to teach the child to be compassionate about their own feelings and others.

• Gentle parenting entails establishing clear boundaries and emphasising what you expect from your child. Instead of issuing prohibitions, concentrate on promoting positive actions.

• As parents, it's essential to create an environment where our children feel comfortable sharing any important information with us without fear. Parents need to be attentive listeners, ensuring that children feel heard and understood.

• Through open dialogue, discuss consequences, triggers for both of you, and how they influence your relationship. 

Research indicates that fostering this mutual understanding and collaborative parenting approach enhances a child's attachment to their parents. This stronger bond correlates with reduced depressive symptoms and increased levels of gratitude and forgiveness in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does gentle parenting mean avoiding discipline? 

Gentle parenting does not mean having zero discipline. It allows a child to grow better mentally without boundaries that could adversely affect the child’s growth. 

2. What is psychologists’ take on gentle parenting?

Gentle parenting is endorsed and advised by nearly every psychologist or expert in the child development space. 

Expert Take

Here is what Parentune's Child Psychology Expert, Richa Aggarwal has to say about gentle parenting.

"Research shows that gentle parenting can have many benefits for children like:

- Improved self-esteem and confidence
- Better regulations of emotions
- Empathy
- Stronger relationships with parents
- Lower risk of behavioral problems
- Higher academic achievement

In order to achieve these benefits from gentle parenting, parents must:

1. Practice active listening

Take the time to listen to your child's thoughts, feelings, and concerns without being judgmental. This helps build trust and emotional connection.

2. Use positive reinforcement

Praise and encourage good behavior, rather than only punishing negative actions. This will help boost children self-esteem and they will open up more easily.

3. Set clear boundaries

Before setting any rules, explain the reasons behind them and involve children in decision-making when appropriate. They will become more responsible.

4. Manage your own emotions

Whenever you are in a stressful situation, model calm and patient responses. This teaches children how to self-regulate their emotions.

5. Avoid harsh punishments

Instead of yelling, spanking, or harsh punishments, use techniques like time-outs, natural consequences, and problem-solving discussions.

6. Communicate and spend quality time

Engage in play, read books, and have conversations to nurture the parent-child bond."

Despite concerns about losing authority, gentle parenting emphasises discipline while nurturing open communication. Backed by psychologists, this approach fosters stronger parent-child bonds, leading to improved mental well-being.