Have you ever heard of word Gentle Parenting?? If yes! have you wondered if Gentle Parenting is the right parenting style for you?

There are countless parenting styles to choose from, which can be overwhelming. But, parents often don’t put a lot of thought into the specific parenting style that they are using and most of the time end up mimicking the way that they were raised. (Even if they don’t realize that they’re doing that!)

Often times our parenting style is unintentional and there isn’t an approach or strategy that is being applied. It even differs from day to day. For example, when we’re stressed out from a long day, we’re much quicker to yell and punish poor behaviour. Whereas if we’ve had a low stress day you may be more “go with the flow” and lenient with rules. Isn’t this happening with us every day.

Gentle Parenting has become a common parenting approach to raising children in today’s modern era. It’s the complete opposite of the “old school” authoritarian parenting style.

Authoritarian Parenting operates on the belief that children should fear their parents and elders. This often creates an environment and parent-child relationship where the child does not feel safe to go to their parents with questions or concerns.

Gentle Parenting is designed to promote a positive and healthy relationship between parent and child built on flexibility, understanding and options. Where kids are never afraid to share or tell anything to their parents.

You give your child choices and more freedom to lead the way. There still needs to be boundaries and limitations to ensure the child’s safety and well-being and work on kid’s tantrums. However, those limitations and boundaries are reserved for the big stuff. Other boundaries are not so concrete. 

Choices and flexibility are key elements of this parenting style.

EXAMPLE:

You can’t allow a child to eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But you can allow for choices and flexibility with what they do eat.

Let’s say you made chicken, peas and potatoes for dinner and your child doesn’t want to eat the peas.

With Gentle Parenting, you wouldn’t force or demand that they eat the peas. Rather you would understand that your child is their own person, with their own individual likes and dislikes. 

As their parent, you would acknowledge that they don’t like peas and incorporate a different healthy vegetable at the next meal.

Gentle Parenting doesn’t use rewards or punishments based on behaviour.

Many parenting styles use a reward system such as a “Behaviour Chart” where the child is rewarded with stickers or prizes for good behaviour throughout the day.

People who practice Gentle Parenting do not view such reward systems as necessary or effective.

On the opposite end of the spectrum poor behaviour is not met with punishment. However, it is important to note that poor behaviour is not ignored either!

Instead of punishing the child, it’s treated as a learning and growth opportunity and work towards conscious and calm parenting.

Gentle Parenting also takes into account the fact that children are not miniature adults that have the same mental and emotional intelligence as their elders.

So it’s understood that children’s brain development is still underway and therefore expectations should be appropriately adjusted. 

People who practice Attachment Parenting follow a specific set of principles. As outlined by WebMD the 8 Principles of Attachment Parenting are: 

Gentle Parenting is more flexible and simply a way of being. There aren’t specific rules to follow. It’s a very natural parenting approach using understanding, empathy and respect to determine how to react in different situations.

It allows for fluid and intuitive reactions based upon your specific child and their emotional, physical and mental needs. So there isn’t a strict rule book that you’re following with this approach.