Parenting Today Vs Past: 7 Great Lessons (6th is My Favorite)

Time changes everything, and we evolve with it. Have you ever noticed the changes, which have affected the parenting styles from generation to generation?

Do you treat your kids in the same way that your parents did with you?  If you think deeply, you’ll find tremendous differences between parenting today vs past.

Besides, today’s parents deal with a completely new era inspired by modern technologies and expensive supplies in comparison to the past. 

The style your great-grandparents followed to raise your grandparents will not match with your grandparents’ traits towards your parents.

Similarly, your parents raised you depending upon their own beliefs and practices. And now being a modern man, what are you thinking or doing to raise your children?

So, in this article, I'll take a deep dive to visualize the contrast between today’s parenting styles with the past.  

Significant Technological Impact on Parenting

We notice momentous changes in parenting today vs past due to technological advancement. Technology and social media have changed our world.

Here we have enlisted 9 noteworthy changes observed in recent days.

1. Convenient Online Solution

The internet broadens your opportunity to solve your problems fast. You can now find answers to all of your questions.

According to a report of the Pew Research Center, 43% of moms and 23% of dads searched for parenting websites seeking advice in 2015. 

On the other hand, parents had to solve their issues on their own in the past. 

2. An Accessible Children Tracking System

Parents always think about their kid’s safety. Thanks to modern technology for ensuring a convenient tracking system.

Furthermore, this feature brings peace of mind. But it was hard two or three decades ago. Here, modern technology reigns over parenting. 

3. Inspiring the Kids for Online Education 

Modern schools are offering or require online facility. Consequently, parents are motivating the kids for it. According to a survey, 98.5% of American students use the internet in schools.

Likewise, 96.5% use it to complete their homework. Most importantly, during the pandemic COVID-19, online education platforms become the only source. 

4. Opportunity to Capture Moments 

Modern technology offers parents to frame their happy moments with the children. As a result, no memories get lost.

You can now make documentation on your kid’s life with the help of smartphones. 

5. A Tendency to be the Best Friend

Nowadays, parents post pictures with their children on social media with the caption- my best friend.

For example, experts opine that this impulse of being the best friend is not ideal. In this case, GloZell Lyneette Green says:

“Parenting is not being your child’s friend. Parenting is about preparing your child to be a useful and respectful person in society.”

In contrast, parents of the past seem to be more authoritative rather than friendly. 

6. Spend More in Restaurants

The U.S. Department of Commerce published a report in April 2015. It says, the Americans spent more at restaurants than at grocery for the first time.

The experts think that it happens due to the change in parenting style. It indicates the inevitable variation between parenting today vs past.  

7. Willingness to be Every part of Life

In recent days, parents want to be part of everything in their children’s life. The urge comes from a sense of ideal parenting.

But it curtails the independence of the little one compared to the past days. Most importantly, modern parents can not accept their kids’ failure. 

8. Preferring Screens to Playgrounds

Nowadays, most parents leave their kids with indoor activities. Parents can not manage time to take them to the outside.

As a result, the children spent time with screens and technology. Consequently, they make a less physical movement. Gradually, it becomes tough for the kids to enjoy the outside world of their own. 

But the scenario was different decades ago. Parents took the kids to the playground. In other words, they enjoyed going out.

9. Depression Due to Social Media

Addiction to social media has turned our personal life into the public stage. Besides, parents pursue perfection with their kids.

It puts pressure both on the parents and the children. Consequently, it may damage the mental health of the kids.

Experience Sharing with Modern Parents

To generate real-life experiences on parenting, I reached out to some parents. I requested them to share their observations.

Besides, I questioned them on different grounds and got astounding responses.

Marry was one of them. Marry is the mother of a two-year-old daughter. I questioned her on establishing bonds in sensitive issues, communication, restrictions, and freedom. Here, I’ll represent the discussion.

Marry’s Observation as a Child: Communication Gap

Marry mentions that she shared many things with her parents. She also noted discussing various topics like politics, sports, education, etc. with them.  

But she vigorously pointed out that she never spoke about adolescents, love, sex, etc. with her parents. Though she enjoys her freedom also, there were more restrictions. There was a communication gap between them.

It means a child of two or three decades ago is never allowed to cross the line set by the parents. 

Marry’s Opinion as a Mother: Closeness in Relation

As a mother, she is now planning something different for her daughter. She thinks she will talk about adolescence, love, infatuation, and many more when her daughter grows up.  

Besides, she wishes to give her daughter full freedom of choosing anything. Furthermore, he believes setting more restrictions will create more complications.

She explains, “I think, it’ll establish strong communication and bring my daughter close to me. Besides, it’ll keep her away from harm.”

Thus, the more time is passing, the more we notice changes in parenting. Nowadays, parents are more close to their children.

7 Parenting Lessons

Learning is a continuous process. It starts with your birth and ends when you breathe last.

So, the journey of being a parent requires some knowledge. Above all, it will make the situation healthy. Let’s have a look at them: 

1. Determining Rules

Rules are necessary for proper maintenance. At first, you’ve to define and set some rules for your family.

Subsequently, you must encourage your child to follow them from early childhood. It’ll pave a smooth path for the future.  

2. Establishing Discipline

Childhood is the best period for learning discipline. Without discipline, your kid can’t go ahead.

So, try not to hit or scold for doing something odd. Teach your kids tactically with the use of wise words and conversation. 

3. Relationship Management  

If you maintain a quality relationship with your children, they will be physically and mentally healthy.

Similarly, it’ll make you happy. Avoid the tendency of installing fear in them. This practice will improve your child’s decision-making skills. 

4. Practicing Family Rituals

Practicing family rituals is important. It helps you to make understand your kids. Moreover, family rituals help your kid to be respectful to others. Moreover, it ensures family bondage. 

5. Balancing Rigidity with Overindulgence

Rigidity begets unpleasant experiences. Try not to punish your kids physically. Likewise, overindulgence won’t bring any good to your children.

So, you should maintain a balanced approach. 

6. Ensuring a Supportive Attitude

If you are flexible, the kids will feel free to communicate with you. They face different complications during adolescence.

Plus, they fear to share sensitive issues. As a result, their physical and mental growth may stumble. Therefore, talk to them and try to solve the problems. 

7. Encouragement Through Engagement

You should monitor your kids’ educational progress. Try to accept their failure and encourage them to bounce back. Consequently, it’ll make them confident as an adult. 

Our Findings

You know that in every plus, there is a minus. Likewise, the parenting system is not an exception. Sometimes, the changes perform great, and sometimes they may bring disaster to your children.

To clarify your confusion, we’ve separated the positive ones from the negative ones based on parenting. Here they are: 

The Positive Changes

The Positive Changes Over Time are: 

The Negative Changes

The Negative Changes are:

 How are families today distinct from in the past?

Families in the past used to be huge. Presently the average family consists of five members. People married earlier and had more kids. But now, there is less interaction within the family due to computers and the internet.

Why is parenting more difficult presently?

Social media distractions, challenges with two working parents, sensitive or behavioral dysfunction, peer conflict or bullying, and school brutality and safety concerns are the reasons for the difficulty.

What age is the toughest for parents?

According to many pieces of research, 8 is the toughest age for parents.

Is babysitting helpful for working parents?

Yes, babysitting helps working parents. But family etiquette can be absent in the kid as s/he grows up babysitting.

The Final Verdict

Parenting is not an easy task. However, parents find their ways to cope up with time. Each generation endows us with distinctive parenting styles. 

You have your temperament and personality. Hence, you can parent best if you go with it. Make a curious combination of the past with the present. 

To sum up, this ever-changing and never-ending parenting style evolves with cultural and socio-economic environments.

Learn from the past, and apply them to raise happy and successful kids. Be the parents you wish to be for your children and yourselves.