Gentle parenting emerges as an approach that not only benefits children, but also those who practice it. How we raise our children is undergoing a quiet revolution, and new generations are modeling gentler parenting methods. In other words, moving away from authoritarianism. Therefore, Sarah Ockwell-Smith, a renowned parenting expert, highlights that this approach seeks to balance the demands of parents with warm support for children.

The Influence of Social Media on Gentle Parenting

Never has social media played such a vital role in spreading kind parenting practices. This way, the hashtag #GentleParenting has become a significant movement, that is, sharing videos with tips and techniques to cultivate empathy and trust in children. Currently, this online phenomenon is redefining parenting paradigms. As well as reaching thousands of views and strengthening the community of parents looking for a more compassionate approach.

Deconstructing Old Paradigms

For decades, we believed that unyielding authority was crucial to successful parenting. However, recently this paradigm has been challenged. Oprah Winfrey and psychiatrist Bruce Perry, in their joint work “What Happened to You: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing”, introduce an innovative perspective. Therefore, instead of asking “what is wrong with you?”, they propose asking “what happened to you?”, promoting more personal and vulnerable dialogues.

Discipline as Teaching, not Punishment

Sarah Ockwell-Smith highlights that the word discipline may have a negative connotation, but its true essence is teaching. Disciplining is guiding children to behave, communicate and control their emotions without resorting to impatience in the face of inappropriate behavior. This perspective redefines the concept of discipline, integrating affection into the educational process.

The Transformative Power of Affection

Psychologist Flávia Freitas emphasizes the importance of affection in early childhood education. It proposes that affection should guide parents' actions, replacing any trace of violence in the relationship. Guiding children's behavior with firmness, assertiveness and respect demonstrates authority without resorting to authoritarianism, contributing to healthy development.

Building the Future Caring for the Present

Companies and institutions play a crucial role in supporting kind parenting. The Lego Group, for example, recognizing gaps in its products, conducted an extensive study of more than 18,000 children globally. The results led to the launch of diverse characters, promoting representation in children's friendships and addressing themes of neurodiversity and inclusion.

The SuperAutor social project stands out for stimulating children's creativity through reading and writing. The direct involvement of parents in the creation of books by children reinforces the importance of family integration in the formation of future autonomous citizens.

Music and Education: Doggyland and Parental Kindness

Innovations also emerge at the junction of music and education. In this way, the children's program Doggyland, created by Snoop Dogg, became the soundtrack for popular videos on TikTok with the hashtag #GentleParenting. This initiative highlights the importance of raising awareness about self-esteem, diversity and inclusion from a young age.

Collaborating for a Kind Future

In a world where caregivers and experts debate gentler methods for child development, there is an opportunity to reflect on the futures we are building. New technologies and more positive images can be allies in children's development, as can inclusion strategies and pluriversal narratives in companies.

Finally, companies and institutions can learn from gentle parenting, incorporating empathy into their production chain and creating inclusion strategies aligned with the needs of their stakeholders.

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