WTF Is 'Slow Parenting'? The Internet's Answer To Overscheduled Kids

You might’ve heard of FAFO parenting, you’ve definitely heard of gentle parenting, but what about so-called “slow parenting”?The concept, which has roots in Carl Honoré’s book Under Pressure: Rescuing Our Children From The Culture Of Hyper-Parenting, is all about finding balance in family life and giving kids a bit of a break, too.It’s a more relaxed and child-led approach. Gone are the days of booking little Janet into 17 different extracurricular classes littered throughout the week.As per Parents, slow parenting is “about letting kids figure out who they are, rather than shaping them into what parents (or society) think they should be”.It’s about (clue’s in the name) slowing things down and letting kids grow up in their own time. The aim is to reduce burnout, foster a secure parent-child attachment, and boost resilience.Why is there interest in this?Being overscheduled has been linked to poor mental health in kids. Slow parenting rips up that playbook and favours a more manageable schedule littered with lots of downtime.If you find your child’s schedule is so jam-packed your kids don’t have time for spontaneous play dates, slow parenting might be for you. What does slow parenting look like?With the summer holidays now in full swing, there’s been a lot of chatter about the summers of the ’90s (and basically any decade prior to that), when kids were given free rein to bike-ride, play out, build dens and be bored.Nostalgic for those simpler times, some parents are trying to recreate that for their own kids right now – although others have questioned whether it’s even possible any more with the advent of smartphones (and devices in general).Slow parenting embraces elements of the “90s kid summer” ethos. Some of its core principles include: 1. Unstructured play where kids can play freely without adult direction. Active play can help “build healthy bodies, increase energy, and reduce tension and anxiety”, says the American Psychological Association, while interactive play can foster feelings of connection.2. Focusing on meaningful experiences and being fully present (usually meaning no screens) when spending time together.3. Letting kids develop their own interests, rather than pushing activities on them – and not pushing them to be “ahead for their age” in the process. 4. Simplifying the family schedule and limiting commitments.In a TikTok video, mum Meghan Crowe said her version of a slow motherhood looks like “nourishing meals made at home, prioritising time outdoors ... making space for what truly matters [and] romanticising the mundane”.For Sarah, a UK-based mum-of-three, slow parenting looks like only doing one main activity with her children – such as a playdate, visit to a toddler group, or outing – per day.It also looks like reduced screen-time, playing with the kids “as much as I can”, and getting outside as much as possible “by gardening, playing outside [and] going on walks”, she shared in a video.Related...I'm A Parenting Coach – If Your Teen Argues All The Time, Try This 1 Response9 Parenting Rules People Secretly Think Are 'Emotionally Damaging'I'm A Parenting Coach, Here's Why You Should 'Sportscast' To Your Kids

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