Gentle parenting is a style of care giving that has become more common within the last few years. It stresses the relationship between the parent and the child and attempts to minimize harsh punishments or fighting between the parent and child. However, it can be difficult to achieve and maintain this type of relationship as many parents cannot balance the dynamic. Oftentimes, parents may act overly harsh on their children, causing a divide in their relationship. On the other hand, they can also react leniently when their child misbehaves, causing behavioral issues that can cause problems in various aspects of a child’s life. 

A gentle parenting technique includes the parent being seen as a teacher, avoiding a punishment system and verbalizing emotions. Parents want to achieve a mutual feeling of respect and connection with their child. They show compassion and understanding to their child to help achieve this bond. When a child is having a tantrum, the parent helps them verbalize their emotions by acknowledging that the child may feel angry. Punishments like yelling and timeouts are seen as unnecessary as they can cause a strain on the relationship. Instead of consequences, the parents strive to understand their kids’ feelings and why they are acting the way they are. The main goal of this style of parenting is to make sure that the children feel that their parents are on their side. 

Although gentle parenting can have its consequences, many families who use it find that it is beneficial for their family dynamic. The strategy is capable of strengthening bonds, building self awareness and teaching kids to be understanding. When a child’s thoughts and feelings are understood, they become closer with and more trustworthy of their parents. The skill of maintaining strong relationships through communication can further aid the child in other relationships they may encounter. This ability sticks with a person for their entire life, leaving them better off than others who can not navigate emotions as well. When parents sit down and discuss how a comment made them or their children feel, kids learn from example and become more empathetic towards others. They also develop the ability to understand their own feelings at a higher capacity. The talent of regulating one’s emotions is crucial to navigating the outside world as people face different challenges and problems each day. The practice also leads to a closer family relationship, with understanding people participating. Because the people in the family all prioritize empathy they become closer with each other, capable of calmly discussing their emotions. 

Although many good things can come with gentle parenting, it also has its drawbacks. Using gentle parenting often takes up much more time and energy as parents need to have a lot of patience and be able to clearly communicate with their child. According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 41% of parents report that being a parent in the present day is extremely tiring. Instead of yelling at a child and forcing them into a new experience, a parent has to be patient, which can often lengthen the time it takes for a child to learn a new skill. The parent is introducing a new situation gradually and is trying to avoid uncomfortable situations for their child. This avoidance of uncomfortable situations can cause children to react very poorly when they are faced with challenges and adversity. Behavioral problems can occur from this, as a child may lash out and act uncontrollable when their feelings are hurt or are not put as a first priority. 

Traditional parenting styles are often criticized for being too harsh; however, gentle parenting techniques can take an overly relaxed approach, leading to an uncontrollable child. All children need discipline in order to discern right from wrong, but every parent struggles with the level of discipline needed in response to their kid’s actions. A balanced approach between communication and boundaries is necessary to ensure a child’s understanding of the world around them. It is hard to find that balance, so it is important for a parent to properly react to and take note of their children’s actions while trying to use the gentle parenting method. 

This method can be a very effective style of parenting when it is done correctly. It brings a strong relationship between the child and parent, and leaves the child with long lasting emotional skills. However, this style is also capable of causing disagreements between the parent and child, and can lead to behavioral problems when not executed correctly. It is important to learn the balance of gentle parenting, with attention to the child’s emotions being the key to success in this trend.