The Benefits and Limits of Gentle Parenting

“Gentle parenting” is generally described as parenting your child without shame, blame or punishment. It has gained traction in recent years, driven in large part by social media. Fans of the approach say it’s all about treating kids with empathy and respect, a stark contrast to the power dynamics of prior generations. But what happens when those well-meaning techniques — modeled so simply in Instagram reels — don’t work with your family? New research is suggesting that gentle parenting may not be so gentle on parents, leading to overwhelm and burnout. We’ll talk with experts about the benefits and limits of gentle parenting.

Guests:

Mercedes Samudio, licensed clinician and author, "Shame-Proof Parenting: Find Your Unique Parenting Voice, Feel Empowered, and Raise Whole, Healthy Children"

Dan Peters, psychologist, parenting expert and host of the podcast “Parent Footprint with Dr. Dan"; author, "Make Your Worrier a Warrior"; co-author, "Bright, Complex Kids"

Annie Pezalla, assistant professor, Developmental Psychology and Family Studies, Macalester College. Her recent article in the Conversation is "Gentle parenting can be really hard on parents, new research suggests."