Every now and again when I am mid conversation with one of my children, I stop and laugh, knowing that what I just said was pretty much word-by-word identical to something my own mum would have told/warned/explained to me.
Which I am willing to guess is the case for a lot of us. After all; our mums tend to be our reference point for a lot of things; cooking, ironing, marital matters and also then, quite naturally, parenting.
But while the majority of us find ourselves repeating the words of wisdom our own mothers would have bestowed upon us throughout our childhood (and, if your mums are anything like mine, still does on a regular basis), it turns out we are less eager to adopt our mothers parenting style with our own brood.
In fact, according to a brand new survey by WaterWipes, more than half of Irish mums claim they are not raising their children the same way their own mothers raised them. According to the findings, 53% of Irish mamas are claiming mum doesn’t always know best, and state that their parenting style is quite different from their mother’s. Another 14% go on to say that the way they parent it is completely different from the way they themselves were raised.
Of course the landscape of parenting has changed dramatically over the last couple of decades, with huge changes in both lifestyle and technology, as well as the fact that many of today’s mothers also hold down a paid job outside the home. Back in the day the mantra that children should be seen, not heard still rules, while today, more and more parents are embracing a more child-centric way of parenting.
Some traditional values still hold true, though, as almost 40% of parents quizzed claimed their parenting style today is still very similar to how they were raised themselves.
Instincts and your own gut feeling is where it is at, though, according to the experts.
“Whether you’re raising your child along the same guidelines that you were reared yourself or you’re doing it completely differently, the most important thing is to trust your own instincts,” explains parenting expert Kate Barlow. “There is no right or wrong way of parenting and every mum or dad knows their own child and, most importantly, what is best for their own child, whether that’s the tried and trusted techniques your parents used with you, or a new and different approach of your own.
And so while mums does know an awful lot (hi mum!), knowing what will work best for your own family is a decision only you and your partner can make.
“Mums and Dads in every generation love their children and do their very best to be good parents,” says Barlow. “Parenting has changed but what mums and dads want in 2015 isn’t very different from what parents wanted in the 60’s 70’s and 80’s – happy, healthy children.”
Now tell us, do YOU parent the same way your own mum did? Or are you taking a different approach altogether? Join in the conversation with us on Twitter at @Herfamilydotie
