Indeed, 2020 has been a challenging year for parents. Not only did it change social gatherings, but it also changed parents' interaction with their children.
Rules and practices inside the home are changed. Due to unexpected situations, parents became less strict about house rules and they have found more venues for connecting to each other.
However, there are some realizations that parents had. Experts believe that these will also be key takeaways in the parenting styles which are expected this 2021.
Dr. Harvey Karp, a pediatrician, shared his thoughts to Yahoo! Life. Here are some of the parenting styles which Dr. Karp said could be a trend in 2021:
Screen time is no longer a guilt word.
Because schools had to shift to virtual learning, screen time has had more meaning compared to the detested "screen time" before the pandemic.
Screen time now has more intention than guilt.
However, this 2021, a tech expert named Carley Knobloch said that parents should find a way to integrate screentime constructively in our lives.
For example, spending time online could be a way to reconnect with loved ones or to still establish interaction among classmates, even if classes are held online.
Screen time should be purposeful this 2021.
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Doctor appointments can be virtual.
Due to the pandemic, going to the hospital is not as reassuring as before. That is also the reason why doctors opted to launch online appointments.
For parents, who have questions for their pediatricians may only choose to schedule an appointment online, without bringing their children to the clinic or the hospital.
Dr. Karp says, "Out of necessity, many doctor's appointments have gone virtual this year, but what we've learned is that while some visits require face-to-face interaction, many doctors are finding that others can be done effectively from behind a screen."
Although doctor appointments can be virtual, there are still instances when these should be done face-to-face. In that case, parents should learn how to assess.
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Parent support is available online.
Although there are existing support groups online before the pandemic, the virtual support during the pandemic was stronger.
According to the head of marketing of Parent Lab, Helen Fang, "We launched online parent-focused meditations, a lot of them free, due to parent demand, and have also seen increased interest in online materials that help with quality time and adult communication."
Staying sustainable
Due to the pandemic, parents have thought long and hard about the effects of pollution. Specifically, they have thought about how they can preserve the world for their children.
According to an expert, "We're going to see less wanton spending and a huge focus for parents on sustainable practices." Because parents are after looking for ways to lessen pollution, there will be lesser plastic toys and other stuff.
