Balihow – More and more parents are moving away from traditional, often strict, child-rearing methods in favor of a more compassionate approach known as gentle parenting.
Actress Nikita Willy is among those who have embraced gentle parenting, and her Instagram followers frequently inquire about her techniques.
But what exactly is gentle parenting?
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Understanding Gentle Parenting
Gentle parenting represents a departure from more traditional parenting styles. According to pediatrician Dr. Karen Estrella, MD, as reported by the Cleveland Clinic on Monday, March 10, 2025, this approach can positively influence a child’s future.
Gentle parenting is a nurturing method focused on raising confident, independent, and happy children by fostering empathy, respect, understanding, and healthy boundaries.
This style primarily emphasizes age-appropriate development, whereas traditional parenting often relies on rewards and punishments.
For example, in traditional parenting, children might receive rewards like fun activities, treats, and positive feedback for good behavior.
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Conversely, misbehavior might be met with physical punishment, a practice strongly discouraged.
Instead of focusing on rewards and punishments, gentle parenting prioritizes fostering a child’s self-awareness and understanding of their own actions.
“The idea is to be more of a coach to the child than a punisher,” explains Dr. Estrella.
A Collaborative and Compassionate Approach
As Parents highlights, gentle parenting is also about raising children without shame, blame, or punishment.
This parenting style is centered around partnership and collaboration, where both parents and children play active roles.
True to its name, this approach emphasizes a more compassionate way to guide children.
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Parents who practice it guide their children with compassion rather than strictness.
“Gentle parenting is a parenting style where parents don’t force children to behave well through punishment or control,” says parenting coach Danielle Sullivan.
Instead, parents use connection, communication, and other democratic methods to make decisions together as a family.
This gentle approach consists of four key elements: empathy, respect, understanding, and boundaries.
“Gentle parenting teaches children that they can be active in the world, set their own boundaries, trust their own needs, and voice their opinions,” Sullivan explains.
Ringkasan
Gentle parenting is an increasingly popular, compassionate child-rearing method that differs from traditional strict approaches. This method focuses on fostering empathy, respect, understanding, and healthy boundaries to raise confident, independent, and happy children. Unlike traditional parenting, which often relies on rewards and punishments, gentle parenting emphasizes age-appropriate development and a child’s understanding of their own actions.
This collaborative parenting style avoids shame, blame, or punishment, instead prioritizing partnership and communication within the family. Parents act as coaches, guiding their children with compassion rather than strictness. Gentle parenting consists of four key elements: empathy, respect, understanding, and boundaries, enabling children to be active, set boundaries, and voice their opinions.