Category: Q&As

What Is Gentle Parenting?

Published : Mar 25, 2025
By Dr. Ana Aznar

What the heck is gentle parenting and why would people do it??

I love your question! If you follow me, you will know that I am not a big fan of gentle parenting. Gentle parenting was introduced by Sarah Ockwell-Smith in 2015. Since then, it went viral in social media. In my opinion, gentle parenting is a reaction to the way many parents these days were raised. Many parents were raised in a much more authoritarian way, and in their effort to do it differently, they have gone to the other extreme.  

Baby, mother and toy building blocks for child knowledge development on living room floor. Family home, teaching and mom with girl toddler learning and helping with happiness and a smile with love

Don’t get me wrong, there are some aspects of gentle parenting that are good. For example, it promotes aspects of authoritative parenting, which is the gold standard of parenting. However, there are many aspects that I don’t agree with. For example, one big problem is that it is a very intensive way of parenting that places unrealistic expectations on parents. 

I wrote a very detailed article on gentle parenting a while ago. You can find it here: Gentle Parenting: Is It Best? Have a read and let me know your thoughts! 

You may also find these articles useful: 

Parenting Styles: What Are They and Why Do They Matter? 

What Is Helicopter Parenting: Characteristics and Consequences 

Permissive Parenting Style: Characteristics and Effects 

Authoritarian Parenting: What’s It About? 

I hope this information helps! 

Love, 

Ana 

Dr Ana Aznar 

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