Every year, new parenting trends emerge, giving parents a new lens through which to examine their choices — for better or worse.
Not all of these parenting trends are built to last. After all, you can only have so many “yes days” before you wonder what you’re really saying yes to. But there are some that teach us valuable lessons about parenting and introduce perspectives we hadn’t previously considered.
With 2024 coming to a close, we’re looking back at this year’s parenting trends. Here are five trends that rose in popularity this year and are actually worth carrying into 2025.
There have always been parents who believe in keeping their children’s schedules packed. These days, however, parents are seeing the value in allowing their children downtime.
“In a world where kids are constantly on the go, they rarely get the chance to be bored and figure things out on their own. But in these moments of unstructured play, children tap into their creativity, problem-solving skills and emotional intelligence. When they’re not following a structured agenda, they learn to navigate the world, make decisions and build relationships,” parenting coach Reem Raouda told HuffPost.
The opportunity for kids to get bored and find their own means of entertaining themselves, particularly away from screens, helps children develop their sense of creativity, problem-solving skills and ability to self-regulate, explained Brooke Sprowl, CEO & Founder of My LA Therapy.
“This trend encourages parents to step back and let children explore and imagine on their own terms, supporting cognitive and emotional development in a natural, joy-driven way,” she added.
“Lighthouse parenting” is a term that’s been trending lately, and it definitely has appeal. It’s the idea of being a “lighthouse” figure in your child’s life — providing reliable guidance but allowing them to use it to navigate uncertain waters independently, without you stepping in to figure it out for them.
This parenting style recognizes the errors of trends that have come before it, such as helicopter parenting and free-range parenting. The goal is to raise kids who are independent and capable of reasoning and handling the problems that arise in daily life on their own while also living joyful, less anxious lives.
Christine Landis, Founder at Peacock Parent Inc., explains, “Lighthouse parenting releases parents of the pressure to ‘do it all’ and be all things to your child.”
Noting how “overwhelmed” modern parents are, Landis said that this approach “allows parents not to have to fill the role of teacher, coach, tutor, psychologist ... and instead allows them to focus on the one role they want to do well: be a loving parent.”
Parenting that seeks to recognize the deeper feelings of parents and children has been at the forefront of many modern parenting trends, such as gentle parenting and positive disciplining. This emphasis will continue into the new year, as the ability to give your child a strong foundation for empathy is timeless.
“Embracing this empathetic approach nurtures parents’ mental health at the same time as their children’s by encouraging emotional regulation and self-compassion,” Raouda explained, adding, “This shift not only reduces parental stress and anxiety but also builds resilience and emotional well-being for the entire family heading into the new year and for life.”
Amid this more significant parenting trend, micro-trends such as “calm corners” are popping up to help reinforce the emotional skills at the core of raising an emotionally intelligent child.
“A calm corner is designed to give children a space to feel and process their emotions in a quiet space. This teaches kids that emotions are manageable and that taking a pause to reset is normal and healthy,” said Caitlin Slavens, psychologist and cofounder of online platform MamaPsychologists.
Parents can get started with a calm corner at home by providing a quiet area with comfy places to sit or lie down. Calming toys or activities can help an angry or upset child wind down in that space. Children can also be taught specific calming or coping skills that they can practice in this area to help regulate themselves.
“I have found in my own home and that of my clients that a calm corner reduces tantrums, increases patience, and models for kids how to handle stress healthily.”
After years of mom bloggers, vloggers, influencers and more spilling all manner of information about their kids, people seem to be more careful and intentional about their children’s online presence. It’s partly because a generation of parents is well-versed enough in the internet to understand the repercussions of specific actions.
Experts believe it’s the right move, and one that should continue. “We live in a world where everything can easily be shared online, but that doesn’t mean it should be shared. Our children have little control over their digital presence. Letting them decide what moments feel okay to share can help them feel safer and more in control,” Slavens said. “It’s a way of teaching them early about consent, privacy, and boundaries.”
Raouda is also in favour of the “sharenting” pullback. “It may seem harmless to post cute moments of our kids online, but it can create issues around their sense of self. Sharenting often comes from a place where parents need external validation or approval. Still, it’s important to respect a child’s privacy and autonomy and to make sure that they feel valued for who they are and not just how they can be showcased,” she added.
In the past, kids had their whole day laid out for them, whether it was sports and tutoring after school or coming home to do chores and spend time with family. Now, parents are more comfortable with letting kids build their schedules and following where their interests take them.
“Letting kids lead with their interest directly responds to the tiger mom era. We saw that this parenting style burns a child out and removes some of the pure joy of being a kid. Parents want to give their children that space and time to enjoy life and also reap the rewards themselves of a clearer after-school schedule,” Landis said.
“Parents are choosing to spend more quality family time together and waiting until a child is motivated to want to participate in a sport, school play, or learn a new instrument,” she added.
