Due to the Internet and the ease of spreading information globally, there are more trends and “fads” than ever.
A fad is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as, “an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived; a craze.”
You get fads about parenting cropping up quite a lot. There will be something shared by one person and then another, and another, and another, until it is something that has a decently large cult following online. The people who believe in the fad itself will usually think it is the best thing since sliced bread, and they will defend their position wholeheartedly.
But, it is important to recognise these fads for what they are – fads.
To help you with recognizing these, here are 3 popular ones doing the rounds this year.
Avoiding saying “no” entirely
There are a lot of people out there who think that saying “no” to your child at all is a bad thing.
Have you seen the episode of Modern Family where Cam and Mitch refuse to say no to their baby Lily and she nearly turns on the garbage disposal while Cam’s hand is in it?
Yeah… it’s that principle.
While I completely understand the sentiment behind this fad, it simply isn’t realistic.
We can be kind and gentle to our children while still saying no to them, setting boundaries, and using discipline appropriately.
Your child will grow up to be told “no” in many areas of their life, and you can’t protect them from that. So it’s best to start now.
It’s ok to say no, as long as at other times you are also saying yes.
Letting your baby “cry it out”
This is one that I find particularly cruel.
A lot of people believe that when your baby is crying, especially at night time, they should be left alone to “cry it out”, rather than anyone going to comfort or soothe them.
The premise behind it is that it will teach the child to be more personally resilient and to self soothe.
But this isn’t what happens.
All that happens is that the child grows to learn their feelings aren’t listened to and people aren’t willing to help them if they need help.
Adults can self-soothe and be resilient, but children need to be comforted and supported. They are too young to soothe themselves and the world is scary and new for a baby.
When your baby is upset and looking for you, please don’t leave it to “cry it out”.
Getting medical advice online
This is something particularly relevant to the times of Covid-19 and vaccines.
A lot of people get sucked into believing everything they read online, even when it comes to health and wellness.
Don’t do this.
Get your medical advice from doctors, nurses, midwives, and legitimate research.
It’s very dangerous to believe what you read online, especially on social media, and use it to treat your child.
Always be safe and always be sensible.
That’s really the best advice you can get for navigating the Internet in 2021.
