The Rise of Empowered Parenting: Social Media Sparks a Revolution of Embracing Imperfection and Authenticity Among Parents
From the over 850 million views of #FunnyParentFail on TikTok to the large increase in multigenerational families living together in the US, today's parenting is rapidly evolving. Leaning into those trends, The Bump, a leading multi-platform brand for pregnancy and parenting, today announces the release of its Future of Parenting Report. The report, the first of its kind from The Bump, explores emerging parenting shifts and their impact on family structures, drawing from a variety of data sources. Designed around four key trends ? Empowered Parenting, Modern Families, Mini-Adulting and Green Households ? the report thoroughly examines each to uncover the evolving role and attitudes of parents today and into the future.
"The Bump Future of Parenting Report shines a light on the fascinating evolution of parenting across generations. Today, new and expectant parents are challenging societal norms and banishing perfectionism, instead forging their unique paths of parenting while tending to their own self-care," said Jen Lee, Head of Marketing and Content for The Bump. "This report underscores that being a good parent and being a real person are not mutually exclusive. We embrace this necessary paradigm shift and look forward to further strides in parenthood, where authenticity, empowerment and respect take center stage."
The Bump Future of Parenting Trends Report Highlights
Empowered Parenting
Goodbye parental guilt, and hello to embracing imperfections. As the antidote to feeling shame and judgment resulting in high levels of stress, today's parents are prioritizing authenticity, humor and personal well-being on their parenting journeys. They are forsaking unrealistic standards for showcasing raw, relatable moments, whether in person or on social networks. Social media has contributed to this new, empowered approach to embracing imperfections. Communities that encourage parents to share authentic moments are flourishing, with #ImperfectParenting gaining traction on TikTok (reaching 175,000 views and counting), as parents share relatable content about everything from feeding their child non-organic food to handling toddler meltdowns.
Embracing Imperfections:
- Today's parents are open about the challenges they face, with two-thirds saying that parenting is more difficult than they anticipated and one-third of mothers finding it "a lot harder" than they imagined.
- One way new moms are showing up authentically is by promoting body positivity on social media. Moms are sharing unfiltered post-pregnancy images, fostering transparency about the "fourth trimester," and challenging snapback culture, an expectation to return to pre-pregnancy weight weeks or months after giving birth.
Leaning into Humor:
- Parents are also leaning into humor and levity as coping mechanisms to reduce stress while nurturing love and connection with their children.
- Good-natured humor is linked to improved mental and physical health for parents of children with disabilities, and children with a great sense of humor tend to have higher IQs.
Prioritizing Balance:
- There is a significant gender disparity relating to burnout. Working mothers are 28% more likely than working fathers to experience burnout.
- As the antidote to stress and feeling overwhelmed, mothers are pursuing personal goals while supporting parental aspirations. They are finding creative ways to balance motherhood with personal interests, as seen in celebrity interviews featured on The Bump, such as Christina Milian and Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade.
- Parent friendships have also become valuable to parents to help navigate challenges, providing a judgment-free space for advice and support. According to a recent Pew Research study, 65% of parents rarely or never feel judged by their community of parents.
Modern Families
The traditional American Dream of 2.5 kids and a white picket fence is giving way to modern families who embrace unconventional arrangements. The evolving landscape of family structures ranges from nuclear to those that include single by choice, same-sex parents, co-parenting and multigenerational living. Multigenerational living in the US has quadrupled over the past 50 years, largely due to economic challenges. Financial strain and caregiving needs are driving extended family members to live together. Societal shifts toward gender equality and the acceptance of same-sex marriage are also evident. The report highlights a 19% decrease in explicit bias linking men to careers and women to childcare. Also, today's caregivers are handing down more inclusive and ethical values to their children.
Redefining the Nuclear Family:
- Traditional nuclear families, comprising married parents and their children, have declined from over 40% in the 1970s to just 17.8% in 2021.
- Same-sex marriage rose over 10% in two years after the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015.
Gender Role Reset:
- Economic shifts?including the Great Recession, the gig economy and women outearning their male partners?has led to a rise in men leaving the workforce to care for their children, now at nearly 25% compared to 4% in 1989.
- Furthermore, the number of stay-at-home dads in the US grew to over 2 million by 2021, a 10% increase from 1989.
- With men prioritizing childcare over a long workday and a higher paycheck, recruiters state that fathers are regularly asking about flexible schedules during the interview process.
Embedding Inclusive Values:
- Today's parents are instilling more inclusive and ethical values in their children. Ninety-four percent of US parents think it's essential that their children are honest and ethical and 80% would like their children to be accepting of people who are different from them.
- In contrast, 65% say it's not important to them that their children share their religious beliefs.
Mini-Adulting
Thanks to social media, parents have a new perspective on what being a caregiver looks like, and that does not have to include dropping pre-child interests. By staying connected to fashion, pop culture and lifestyle passions as they begin their parental journey, today's parents are more connected to their pre-child selves than ever. Parents are including children in activities like workouts, outdoor adventures and cooking classes. These activities are not just fun; they promote social, emotional and cognitive growth, according to experts. Eighty-eight percent of parents emphasize financial independence and career happiness for their children as they grow into adulthood, suggesting a shift toward valuing personal fulfillment and individual passion over traditional notions of success. This also lends to a desire for children to be independent thinkers and pursue paths that align with their interests.
Nurturing Self-Sufficiency:
- The digitally native Generation Alpha's relationship with technology has become even more enmeshed with learning and entertainment, with 57% of children ages 8 to 12 owning their own tablet in 2021, up five percentage points from 2019.
Inspiring Shared Interests:
- Parents are finding innovative ways to introduce their children to a wide range of hobbies and interests while creating space for parent-child bonding. Google searches for mommy and me workouts, yoga and cooking classes have increased by 80%, 60% and 50% respectively in the US over the past six months*.
Mini-Me Styling:
- The popularity of mini-me dressing has grown in the age of social media as influencers shared their matching styles to create Instagrammable family moments.
- Style identities have also been working in reverse, with last year's "Turn my mom into me" challenge receiving over 545 million views on TikTok.
Green Households
With increasing awareness of climate change, parents are prioritizing sustainability in their homes. Seventy percent of US households consider themselves eco-friendly and 77% express a desire to do even more, showcasing a shift in consumer behavior toward sustainability. The report predicts a future trend toward green careers among members of Generation Alpha, indicating a growing commitment to environmental stewardship. Forty-one percent of US parents cite their children as a motivation for adopting more sustainable practices. Moreover, 80% note that their children have made them more eco-aware, influencing their consumption habits and actions.
The Diaper Decision:
- Diapers are a major environmental challenge in the US, with 95% being single-use and ranking as the third-largest consumer product in landfills, taking roughly 500 years to decompose.
- To combat this, household diaper brands are investing in green initiatives by producing plant-based materials and reducing greenhouse gas and carbon emissions.
Responsible Reuse:
- There is a notable shift toward sustainable consumer behavior, with 70% of parents agreeing it's socially acceptable to buy their kids secondhand products.
- Moreover, 58% of parents aged 25-39 state that they like or love rental and resale**.
A Smaller Plastic Footprint:
- Given that the toy industry is considered to have the highest plastic use worldwide, 91% of Americans consider the amount of plastic in a product when making a purchase.
- In addition to reducing the amount of toys they buy, parents are prioritizing more ethical choices, with 43% of millennial parents rating sustainability as a key factor when purchasing a product for their child.
Visit The Bump Future of Parenting Report to read the full report.
Methodology
The Bump Future of Parenting Report was developed in partnership with WGSN Mindset, the consultancy division of the world's leading consumer trend forecaster. Utilizing WGSN's proprietary STEPIC methodology?a process that analyzes changes in society, technology, the environment, politics, industry and creativity to provide forecasts with an unparalleled 360-degree view?the report combines expertly curated global quantitative and qualitative data and industry expertise to define the macro trends that will shape the future.
About The Bump
The Bump is a definitive voice for all parents and parents-to-be, offering real-life guidance through a multi-platform experience of timely expert advice, diverse lifestyle content and time-saving tools for parents on the go.
The Bump is part of The Knot Worldwide, a leading global marketplace and family of brands championing celebration, including The Knot, WeddingWire and Bodas.net.
Follow The Bump on social media: Facebook.com/TheBump and @TheBump on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Pinterest.
*According to Google Trends
**According to WGSN's Barometer data
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