Reshma Ravishanker
Two years and counting- the pandemic has wreaked havoc for many, disrupting lifestyles to a rather unprecedented extent. Ironically, children, believed to be a cohort least affected health-wise by Covid-19 have been impacted the hardest in various aspects of life. Having been refrained mostly indoors, intermittent learning, minimized peer interaction, online schools or losing a loved one is what children would mostly remember the two years for. Amid the continuing chaos as uncertainty is preponderant, parents don the hat of a peer, a mentor and an educator.
From sharing the responsibility of parenting to nurturing a budding entrepreneur, here are some parenting trends for 2022 as per experts
Mindful approach
With the pandemic allowing millennial parents to work from home, family time has improved. This also means that parenting can now be a more joyful experience, experts say. “As against the rushed nature of millennial parents, the pandemic has taught parents to go about the whole experience albeit in a more relaxed way. After the 2nd and subsequent 3rd wave, where uncertainty plagues the corner, and with schools shut for longer than expected, parents are now taking a mindful approach to parenting- one where they relax, savour the moment, and not get stressed (at least at all times) of the impending future!” says Mansi Zaveri, founder, Kidsstoppress.com. 
Shared parenting
Allowing the child to grow in a set-up where gender neutrality is upheld is important. Among themselves, parents could share the responsibility of parenting effectively, setting a good example for the child to learn from. “Work from home has also helped, to a certain extent, take the load off the primary caregiver- the mother in most cases. The past two years, parents have learnt to juggle multiple roles with ease- so WFH in the future- will just be another walk in the park!” believes Zaveri.
Unfiltered- Keeping It Real
The pandemic has taught and showed parents that it is pertinent to appreciate the joy in everyday things- and not to see things only through the Instagram lens. Zaveri recalls, right from BTS (behind the scenes) to reels to blooper shots to posts on how things don’t go as planned, parents and Instagram influencers have taken the #KeepItReal route- and that has made the content more relatable. To be a supermom (with her own flaws) who fixes everything around her is great but 2020-2022 has shown the world that it is okay if you are a supermom (in her own vulnerable way) mending a torn cape in one hand while saving the world in another!”
While routine 9 to 5 jobs may seem a passe by the time the current generation seeks employability, parents need to envision a different career prospectus for the millennial child and equip them with adequate skills, Neha Kare Kanabar, founder, Unimo – Universe of Moms advises. “Today, with the shows such as shark tank Coming to Indian shores and uncertainty looming in regular jobs, it is not surprising that we predict that ‘Modelling entrepreneurial skills early in children’ will definitely be one trend to look out for,” she says.
STEAM, not STEM
“A major shift from STEM to STEAM is indeed a trend to watch out for,” advises Kanabar. Scientific, textbook way, theoretical approaches to learning is a concept of the past. Am integration of soft and hard skills is what amounts to a holistic education for the current generation. Emerging areas of fine arts, new media, humanities and multi-disciplinary courses are where job opportunities will boom. Get your child to solve any problem the creative way.
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Embrace gentle parenting to raise happy, confident children