top of page

Issue 17 Out Now

Writer's pictureCharde Goins

The Gentle Parent


The history of raising children has been anything but gentle, rarely nurtured in a way unique to them. Most parents utilize the same approach of an authoritative style, leaving children unequipped in situations that deal with compassion and understanding. Centering childcare around discipline and forced respect negatively impacts children and generations.


Holistic childcare is a growing approach in child development. This approach attempts to meet emotional, social, and physical needs. A high-quality environment will nurture the needs of each child, allowing them to grow. The caretakers will also be able to recognize the different methods needed to put each child on the path to success. In these environments, they will explore, learn, and develop safely.



CDC (@CDC)

Caring for a child holistically is more than feeding and clothing a child. These daycares create a catered process that evaluates every need and learning habit, taking notice of their lives. Holistic care understands that child care takes patience and communication. They also demonstrate a versatile method of teaching children who require hands-on activities in lessons while accounting for children who learn visually and verbally. Individual attention can bring a higher understanding of their capabilities. Allowing caretakers to grasp areas each student excels and needs improvement. While raising children in a softer environment opens them up to compassion, a holistic approach instills social skills. These skills deepen bonds with parents and communities. With a judgment-free environment, children can interact and fully express themselves, helping them to build the confidence necessary for life.


The schedules of a holistic daycare are uniquely structured. While still planning their days around time, they recognize the need for lessons that keep children engaged. While acknowledging the need for children to understand time management and responsibility, these holistic environments allow creative projects to take place at any time of the day. The daycares encourage children to utilize natural objects such as flowers and rocks to examine for use in lessons. These small items can lead children to ask complex questions about the creation and use of certain items. Holistic daycares do not punish children for their high energy and curiosity. Instead, this behavior is encouraged. Offering children hands-on activities to help them build muscle memory and cognitive skills will help keep them engaged throughout their lessons.


Holistic daycares yield long-lasting positive benefits for child development. While children spend most of their time in daycares, learning and gentle environments should not stop at school.


A new approach to raising children has sparked conversation in many communities. Discussions on past methods of caretaking have faced scrutiny. The current generation seeks to break vicious family cycles while rewriting approaches to child care. Gentle parenting is a new approach to raising kids. Methods such as the authoritative, permissive, and neglectful parenting styles, have been replaced with a compassionate upbringing.


Gentle parenting is a partnership between parent and child, allowing both parties to communicate and find solutions. A softer approach to child care is practiced by caregivers and parents, guiding children with clear and sympathetic boundaries. Without constriction from punishment and control, families work together to discuss issues and make democratic decisions. A large part of getting gentle parenting to work is respect and empathy. When parents show children they respect and value them, it becomes easier for children to return the sentiment and confide in adults. A gentle approach has lasting effects on the lives of children, teaching them to vocalize their needs, set boundaries, and make decisions.


Most see gentle parenting as a method that permits bad behavior. When boundaries start to loosen, structures begin to fall apart. Implementing a new method of childcare into your life is strenuous, even more so when lacking the necessary knowledge. Learning and practicing how to be gentle is detrimental to this approach. It not only gives the child an environment to thrive in, but this practice also helps adults change how they interact with the world. When being gentle with your child, you are opening yourself up to having more compassion and understanding for others. Finding a structure with a new approach to parenting will take time, yet it will be rewarding when the life-changing results begin to appear.


Staying consistent with gentle parenting can be a struggle. When you find yourself frustrated, look at the foundations of the practice. Take a breath and communicate with your child. Asking questions can help gain insight into their behavior, easing stress. When you understand their thinking and reasoning, solutions can arise from the fruitful conversation.


Raising your child in a combination of gentle parenting and holistic daycare attendance will help them grow in a healthy environment. It will instill positive behaviors and skills in children while also giving adults a new set of problem-solving skills. This new approach breaks old parenting approaches that left children ill-prepared in today’s world.

Kommentare


bottom of page