The Children’s Trust: Parenting trends to look forward to in 2025
Balance has always been a key component of parenting, both for the child and caregiver. According to a study by the Journal of Research on Adolescence, the key to parenting success is finding that balance. The study suggests that parents who are “accepting with clear boundaries; encouraging autonomy with practical limits; displaying warmth with reasonable discipline” see the best outcomes in adolescents. As we look ahead to the coming year, balance is a recurring theme in parenting trends in 2025.
Not only do parents today spend more quality time with their children than ever before, they also spend more time trying to figure out what kind of parent they would like to be. While these trends aren’t guaranteed home runs, they could help you think further about your relationship with your child, improve your bond and make that time you spend together even more special.
Lighthouse Parenting
Lighthouse parenting could be the primary trend for 2025, as it has gained popularity in recent months. This style of parenting is a middle ground between free-range parenting, a hands-off approach that teaches autonomy and is popular in countries like Japan, where children as young as 6 can ride trains alone, and helicopter parenting, which involves a high level of control over every aspect of a child’s life.
People who practice lighthouse parenting encourage their children to figure things out for themselves but let them know they are there for them if needed. Whether watching a younger child play freely in a park from a bench or allowing an older child to attend a supervised party, as long as they check in periodically and arrive home at a pre-arranged time, parents and children need to communicate well to make it work.
It also requires parents to resist the natural urge to step in and help a child struggling to figure something out. If you like the sound of lighthouse parenting, want a forum to talk it over with others, and want to know more about other parenting techniques, make sure to sign up for The Children’s Trust Parent Club. This essential community resource offers free workshops on different parenting topics throughout the county in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Visit TheChildrensTrust.org/ParentClub for topics, dates and other information. Parent Club also offers free family engagement event tickets for attending multiple workshops.
Digital Detox
While utilizing some technology can be beneficial to children, another parenting trend on the rise is a family-wide digital detox. This idea invites families to set aside a morning, an afternoon, or a whole day to spend together without technology. Some ideas for a digital detox day are enjoying family game nights, exploring your community on foot or cooking a family dinner together.
Tech-free zones are another way of limiting screen time. Instead of allotting time for the family to avoid technology, parents can implement a blanket ban on technology in select parts of the house, like the bedroom or dining room. Parents must also lead by example by avoiding frequent glancing at their phones. These steps build a bigger bond within families and can positively affect everybody’s mental health, in part by lowering anxiety levels.
If you like the idea of ditching screens, have a young child and live in Miami-Dade County, join The Children’s Trust Book club by visiting TheChildrensTrust.org/BookClub and receive a free book by mail every month.
Sustainable Parenting
Buying top of the line strollers, the trendiest toys and top children’s fashion are ways families accumulate lots of stuff and spend considerable amounts of money. Sustainable parenting can cut the costs of parenting and lower a family’s carbon footprint at the same time.
One way to be more sustainable is to buy fewer toys, but to ensure those you do buy are high quality. Not only does this encourage more focused play, but it also creates a calmer environment around the house (which most adults can also enjoy!) and sets the tone about needs and wants. For those with enough space, starting a garden and teaching your children the importance of growing food sustainably is a way to spend quality time together with a purpose. With regular seed-sharing events at the Miami-Dade Public Library System and through groups like Miami Seed Share, growing together has never been easier.
Visit The Trust’s Find a Program page at TheChildrensTrust.org/FindAProgram) for programs that help with so many of the challenges facing parents today, including child care, after-school and summer programs, family support services and so many more funded by The Children’s Trust.
Grettel Suarez, M.Ed. is a mother of two and the Director of Research and Evaluation at The Children’s Trust. She holds a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Counseling from the University of Miami and has years of experience evaluating nationally implemented and widely researched parenting programs.