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‘Gentle Parenting’: ‘I’ve dramatically dropped the amount I use the word “noâ€â€™

What does it mean to be a ‘gentle parent’?

Parenting trends are nothing new. But ‘gentle parenting’ is one approach that’s seeing a boom on TikTok, with the hashtag hitting over 2.6 billion views and counting. A term first coined by @sarahockwellsmith in The Gentle Parenting Book in 2016, ’Gentle parents’ say they look for the motivations behind their child’s challenging behaviour rather than simply correcting it.

To discuss the trend and how it works in practice, Emma Barnett was joined on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour by parent and content creator Kelly Medina Enos who has adopted the technique with her three-year-old, including everything from creating a ‘calm down corner’, to limiting the amount she uses the word ‘no’.

Emma also spoke to psychologist and author of the 1970s parenting bible ‘Your Baby and Child’, Dr Penelope Leach, to discuss the impact the parenting trend may have. You can listen back to their conversation on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sounds. It’s the episode from 3 October.

Release date:

Duration:

2 minutes