There was a story last week about a new term called “lawnmower” parenting. That’s where you “mow down” any and all obstacles for your kids, so they never have to struggle or deal with adversity themselves.
Now here are five more parenting terms you might not know. See if any of these parenting strategies apply to you:
- Tiger parent. That’s where you have really high expectations, and always prioritize things like studying and extracurricular activities over leisure time.
- Elephant parent. Basically the opposite of a tiger parent. You try not to yell, or even raise your voice at them and you encourage them no matter what. There’s also something called a “jellyfish parent,” which is similar but more extreme.
- Dolphin parent. It’s kind of halfway between tiger and elephant. You might have high expectations, but you take a more balanced approach. And letting your kids have a little downtime is okay.
- Attachment parent. It’s all about nurturing and making sure your kids know they can trust you and it usually involves co-sleeping, where your baby sleeps in the same room with you, so you can quickly comfort them if they start crying.
- Free-range parent. It’s all about independence and self-reliance. You’re more likely to let your kid walk to school alone, or go to a park by themselves. So it’s more like being raised in the 80’s than in 2018.
