Modern Parenting vs Traditional Parenting

Parenting styles and tips
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Written By Poonam Singh

I am co-founder of toddlerjunction.com and Principal of Cambridge Montessori Preschool Bangalore.

There are probably two schools of thought when it comes to parenting, majorly being traditional and modern parenting. There is a difference between raising a child and “parenting”. If you are a 90s kid, you would have most probably been raised with the traditional understanding of parenting. Traditional and modern ways of parenting have their own merits and demerits, the relevance of them being distinct from child to child. To start with, let us understand what exactly these styles of parenting mean. 

Read Here: 4 Basic Styles of Parenting

Traditional Parenting. 

Traditional parenting is based on parental understanding and responsibility that has been handed over or observed from the previous generation. 

The Basic Philosophy.

The basic sense of traditional parenting is all about being affectionate and loving to the children but also holding power over them. The child gets dependent on them and looks forward to assisting in every activity and responsibility. 

The children are trained to be obedient, are nothing less than mindless robots, and didn’t learn much by themselves or make any interpretation. 

Education and Career

In the traditional style of parenting, the children are raised to be good citizens. The guiding principle was that a person can be a good citizen by being an obedient kid at home.

Through traditional parenting, The kids are taught good manners. Education is all about getting good grades and other tangible accomplishments. 

Restrictions

Old school parents usually keep a lot of restrictions over their children and say no to a lot. This can trigger aversion from the children. Annoyance over small mistakes is a characteristic of traditional parents. 

They don’t tolerate tantrums and interfere whenever they believe is not according to their ideologies. They are not afraid of their anger hurts their self-esteem and they believe that staying under restrictions and rules is good manners. 

Old-school parenting is ultimately all about being responsible as a family member. The techniques of old-school parenting are rigid and lack flexibility. 

Modern Parenting vs Traditional Parenting

Modern Parenting 

We all want to do what is best for our children. But when it comes to parenting, there are so many pieces of advice that are usually a lot conflicting. Every parent wants to make sure that their kid is confident, independent, and a good citizen. Modern parents have access to all this advice over the internet. 

Modern parenting believes that every child is unique and requires a unique style of parenting. The parenting style does not mold the kid into a specific personality, but rather raises them to be self-reliant with high self-esteem. 

The Basic Philosophy 

The basic idea of modern parenting is to make your child listen and respect you rather than fear you, which is generally the outcome of traditional parenting. All these things are easier said than done and we get it!

Raising a child is now quite expensive and time-consuming. There is no right way to raise a child in modern parenting but the approach and basic values are quite the same. 

Education and Career

The modern parenting style focuses on nurturing the child so that can be confident to live in the real world. It is relatively conflict-free. As far as providing education, modern parents are quite dynamic and don’t give a lot of credit to the grades. 

Rather, they ensure that their child is well equipped with skills and talents so that he becomes much more capable to fit the practicality of the real world. Modern parenting views the child as a unique individual who deserves special attention and recognition for their abilities and strengths so that they gain more confidence to face the real world. 

Restrictions 

Modern parenting focuses on nurturing the child so that they feel more confident in their individuality. Usually, these parents focus on an approach that is unique and versatile, customized to individuals’ potential and interests. 

The child is taught to be independent and manage themselves. The parent involves while they do homework not to help them complete it, but to make them understand and create their perspective. There are relatively fewer restrictions and the parents are not authoritative. 

Read Here: Old Parenting vs New Parenting

Modern Parenting vs Traditional Parenting

The Ideal Parenting Technique- A Blend of Traditional and Modern Parenting 

As your child develops, one of the major challenges that parents face is a change in thinking. The evolution of thoughts and understanding the pattern of thoughts and emotions is essential. Helping the child learn through experience is extremely important but also teaching them to self-control through little authority is significant. 

There is no right way of parenting. Do your best and trust your gut. Observe the reaction and consequence of your actions and decisions over the child. 

Conclusion 

The first thing that you need to look out for while raising the child is looking at your habits and ideologies. Children usually tend to pick up habits from their environment, especially from their parents. What you can do is try and blend in different styles of parenting for the various sector of a child’s development.

It is important to have a good understanding and better connectivity with your child but setting up boundaries will help him realize what is wrong and right. Setting boundaries help the child to stay disciplined. To make your parenting successful, modern parents should also make sure that they follow the rules and stand by their principles as well. 

Although a unique perspective on parenting is recommended to parents-to-be, modern and traditional parenting styles share a different view of education and freedom. Parents should be firm but also lenient to make sure that the kid stays disciplined and not get spoiled. 

Reference

NYtimes

I am co-founder of toddlerjunction.com and Principal of Cambridge Montessori Preschool and DayCare Kaggadasapura Branch. I am also a Montessori certified teacher and have 5+ years of experience working with kids.

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