The year 2020 truly brought upon new challenges for parents and kids all across the globe. The unexpected shift of both work and school being incorporated into the homes of families in order to adapt to the new normal would sure take a huge toll on anyone.
But while a lot of things seemed to have changed just from last year, there are still trends that aged and there are many that did stick around. And just like every year in the past, there is a new wave of parenting trends experts have brought up that parents should watch out for this coming 2021.
After such a difficult year, many parents may be wanting to see what the new year has in store for them and their families. To start 2021 with a little uncertainty and a little more hope, here are several parenting trends that you should watch out for.
2021 Parenting Trends
1. Changes to parents' work-life
The pandemic sure has brought drastic changes to the work lives of many parents which have also impacted how they manage their time and productivity. Because of the current situation, more companies have allowed their employees to work at home which parents have shown in 2020 that they can manage to get work done when their schedules are flexible.
Many companies have shown support for parents working at home this past year who had to juggle their work-life as well as helping their kids with homeschooling. For instance, Google increased family leaves for employees to 14 weeks so that parents could have more time to take care of their kids at home.
2. Adapting to screentime usage
With online classes becoming the norm for the past year and children’s playtime becoming limited to only indoors, it’s only natural that kids would entertain themselves through their electronic devices.
While there have been studies that have shown early exposure to screen devices could lead to emotional and behavioural difficulties among young kids as well as inhibiting literacy skills, proper management of screen time may still be beneficial for how your child grows up. Especially now that it not only helps with schoolwork but also helps them reconnect with their friends and family.
And since the advancement of technology isn’t going to slow down any time soon, it’s our responsibility as parents to continue monitoring screentime usage among our children, especially those at a younger age.
3. Telehealth
After finding just how convenient and safe virtual doctor’s appointments have been for the past year, needless to say, Telehealth will remain strong for 2021 as well.
For treatments that don’t need to be assessed by doctors in person, patients can just virtually call so that they be given a diagnosis and be prescribed. This could be the best option for parents who don’t want to risk too much exposure for their children and it would be the fastest way to arrange an appointment if you have any questions regarding your health condition.
4. Eating Healthier To Live Better
We always want the best for our family and this could be seen in the latest trend of focusing more on healthier eating habits.
Since the pandemic, families have gotten around to preparing and sharing every meal together. Among the food trends in The Wall Street Journal, they mentioned how it would be expected for families to continue to spend time together for family meals.
It was also mentioned that healthier diets will continue until 2021 what with the resurgence of focus towards living healthy and safe during these times of uncertainty. Regina Lee Fechter, VP of Innovation and Business Development at Happy Family Organics noted that due to this new trend, the 2020-25 USDA Dietary Guidelines will include baby and toddler nutrition for the first time so that parents may expect better guidance for the diets of their children between 6 to 12 months.
5. Sustainable choices
Eco-friendly and sustainable products among family lifestyles have been around for a long time and it will continue to be the trend for a healthier earth, according to Liz Turrigiano, Co-Founder and CEO of Esembly.
As we practice choosing more sustainable products that truly have a positive impact on the environment and everyone living in it, parents should also let their children join in and be raised to be eco-conscious for a brighter future. This way the whole family can work together to help make a better, safer and healthier world to live in.
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