5 Influential Parenting Trends for 2019
Mighty Mommy explores the 5 back-to-basics parenting trends of 2019. Try them out on your family today and feel the positive impact for years to come.
Last year I shared 5 Influential Parenting Trends for 2018, and I’ve got to tell you—I was totally on board with all of them:
- Getting Unplugged
- Time Savvy Hacks
- Eco-Friendly Toys
- Making Time to be Selfish
- Encouraging Body Neutrality
Each of these trends focused on ways to get back to basics with your family as well as how to look after your own needs (bravo if you managed that one!).
Welcome 2019, and we have five fresh, new crop of ideas that I’m excited about. Whether you’re a trend-following junkie or watch cautiously from the sidelines, here are five significant parenting trends that will improve your family life this year:
5 Influential Parenting Trends for 2019
- Scavenger Hunt Birthdays
- More Self-Care
- Welcome Back Flip-Phones
- Tune in to Audiobooks
- Celebrating Life’s Little Moments
Let’s delve in to each one in more detail.
Trend #1: Scavenger Hunt Birthdays
One question my listeners ask time and again are for tips on how to throw a great kid’s birthday bash without breaking the bank.
I absolutely love celebrating my kid’s special days, whether it’s a super-creative theme party or a simple, old-fashioned cake and ice cream in our backyard gathering. The type of party always depended on the age my child was turning, the time of year, financial considerations, the child’s personality and interests, and sometimes it all boiled down to how much energy I could muster.
Trending this year in party celebrations is something I just love—a scavenger hunt birthdays. This idea can be taken in dozens of clever directions (and is great for kids of any age). The idea is that you provide your guests with a list of items to find or tasks to accomplish, usually during a set time frame. You can have your guests work in teams or individually. The last item on the list usually leads to a prize or an activity that everyone can enjoy.
For example: Let’s say you’re throwing a party for an 8-year-old who loves mermaids. You can put together a list of riddles that relate to the beach or the sea, with the final clue leading them to bathing suits and beach towels. Then you surprise everyone by heading off to a nearby pool or beach for a swim. You can keep it simple or be as elaborate as your creativity allows.
Enlist the help of your older children to plan for a younger sibling’s party, or get the grandparents involved. Scavenger hunts are also great for other holidays, anniversaries, or even just a ho-hum rainy day to keep your kids occupied,
See Also: 5 Unconventional Ways to Celebrate Your Kid’s Birthday
Trend #2: More Self-Care
One of last year’s hot trends was making more “me” time. I’m so glad to see that in 2019, self-care is gaining even more momentum.
Early on in my parenting life, I struggled with tremendous guilt on those rare occasions I’d put time aside for myself. Whether it was to hit the salon for a hair appointment or attend a long overdue girl’s night, my inner dialogue would constantly remind me to make my outing as quick as possible in case my kids should need me at home to cut up their dinner or help them find the favorite teddy bear that was shoved in the wrong bedroom closet. Pathetic!
It was the year I had four children under the age of three that I learned the hard way how crucial self-care was. It took a near-nervous breakdown for me to realize that taking care of my own needs was far more important than keeping a tidy house or caring if my kids wore matching socks. If the main caregiver can’t take 10 minutes each day for a hot shower and a meal of something other than our kids’ half-eaten Pop Tart as we rush out the door, then we have no one to blame but ourselves.
In my episode 5 Ways That ‘Selfish Parenting’ Can Benefit Your Family I share how I finally managed to make time to nurture my own needs and, believe it or not, my family didn’t fall to pieces. In fact, since I was stronger and happier, it made their lives better too.
If you’re looking to jump on board this healthy and super important trend, there are dozens of helpful apps (many free) that you can use to help you stay the self-care course. My new favorite is the ToDon’t App which allows me to list the things I’d like to avoid during the day, like drinking diet soda or waiting until the last minute to work on one of my writing projects, and then reminds me of my Don’ts.
Give your family the gift of a less-stressed you this year by exploring more ways to care for yourself.
Trend #3: Welcome Back Flip-Phones
Is your child asking for a cell phone? If so, you’re probably worried about trusting them with a costly device. In my episode Kids and Technology, the tech expert Eric Escobar shared some important advice on smart phone readiness. His suggestion for mobile first-timers is, “a simple mobile phone that doesn’t have a lot of the capabilities of a smartphone. While that wouldn’t be ideal for adults, it is perfect for kids because it’s very easy to limit phone usage when all they can do on their phone is call friends and send a few text messages. If they can handle this responsibility for a while, then you could allow them more and more freedom.”
In addition, kids are prone to breaking or losing their devices, leaving parents with the hefty repair or replacement fee. (I’ve been there several times and it’s an expensive lesson I don’t care to repeat.)
The solution is the old fashioned Motorola flip-phone. This straightforward device has no bells and whistles, just the ability to call and text. It’s compact, relatively inexpensive, yet still affords you a sense of security because your child can stay in contact with you throughout the day. It also has no access to the internet, giving you even more piece of mind.
We’re seeing more back-to-basic approaches with how we raise our kids, and this trend of welcoming back the flip-phone is definitely in keeping with more simplicity and less fuss.
See also: How to Balance Your Kids’ Cell Phone Use
Trend #4: Tune in to Audiobooks
Reading to my kids has always been one of my favorite parts of the day and an essential element of our nightly bedtime routine.
Thanks to modern technology, now we can listen to thousands of books by simply downloading them to our computers, tablets, smartphones, and even to the stereos in our car. With all the shuttling of our kids back and forth to activities and appointments, we have many opportunities to get caught up with our reading thanks to the convenience of audiobooks, another hot trend for 2019.
This trend could easily turn into a new family tradition—cozying up together with a bowl of popcorn and listening to some great stories together—a wonderful way to curb some of the video game and other screen addictions that steal so much of our kids’ time.
Trend #5: Celebrating Life’s Little Moments
I’ve always enjoyed a good party. I remember back when I was in grammar school, I organized picnic parties for my stuffed animals and dolls. When Barbie and Ken came along, I threw them housewarming parties, anniversary dinners, and even baby showers. When I finally had the chance to plan momentous occasions for my own children, I was totally primed and ready.
The thing about celebrations, however, is that we tend to focus on the big milestones—birthdays, new babies, engagements, job promotions, weddings, etc. That’s all changing because the trend for 2019 is to pay tribute to our ordinary experiences, not just the Hallmark moments.
The next time your toddler puts away her toys, your teen helps a younger sibling with her homework, or your family tries a new flavor of ice cream, take a moment to give thanks by hanging a couple of colorful balloons in the entryway of your home to celebrate life’s little moments.
Do trends influence your parenting style?Please share your thoughts in the comments section at quickanddirtytips.com/mighty-mommy, post your ideas on the Mighty Mommy Facebook page. or email me at mommy@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. Visit my family-friendly boards at Pinterest.com/MightyMommyQDT.
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2019 parenting image courtesy of Shutterstock.
About the Author
Cheryl L. Butler was the host of the Mighty Mommy podcast for nine years from 2012 to 2021. She is the mother of eight children. Her experiences with infertility, adoption, seven pregnancies, and raising children with developmental delays have helped her become a resource on the joys and challenges of parenting. You can reach her by email.
