The Future of Parenting: a Radical Approach
Parenting often manifests as a lonely, stressful, mother-focussed life event. But this can, and is, changing.
Parenting is up there as arguably one of the biggest life changes one experiences in their lifetime. A human is entirely dependent on their parents for food, shelter, and a loving upbringing. But as parents, we often find ourselves not celebrating the things going well in our parenting lives, but worrying about what’s not. We muddle through our children’s lives, with it always in the back of our minds that we could be doing better, we need to be following the rule book.
But what if parenting was stripped back, and an individual approach was the norm. Read these three steps to a more enjoyable, fulfilling and positive approach to parenting.
- Re-define motherhood for you. We are so used to being defined simply by our status as a mother (or father), and other identities tend to drop off, at least until the children are older. But a more-rounded (and ergo happy) you not only makes life more exciting and mixes it up from the daily grind, but also shows your kids that you are valuable both as a mother but also as a citizen of the world. This will look different for everyone — will you attend an evening course at a local college to up-skill yourself? Join a local choir? Start a business during maternity leave?
2. Embrace tradition. Tradition has, in recent years, been demonised within society for being archaic, backwards thinking and at times harmful. But with parenting, I beg to differ. In more recent years, ‘helicopter parenting’, over the top health and safety and a classroom-based approach to learning has led to uninspired, bored and children scared to take risks.
More traditional parenting practices must be welcomed with open arms. Re-wilding of children if you like, allowing them to grow through experience rather than prescriptive teachings allows children to flourish, think creatively and critically, and have fun! So parents reading this, drop the tablets, close the homework books and get outside for some real learning.
3. It takes a village. In the last few years, community has had a bit of a re-birth, with community trusts, community cafes, allotments, new church communities, WhatsApp groups of local residents all popping up. And rightly so. This must be embraced as a parent; we weren’t designed to raise a child single-handedly, or in pairs. For a more rounded and happy child (and you), embrace the community approach to raising children. Find a few friends to set up a regular babysitting schedule. Set up a meal service for a local new mum. Don’t be afraid to go to other parents for parenting tips or to share the load.
