The quiet revolution of good enough parenting

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Now, hear me out. This might sound like a cop out for bad parents. But it is not. Our grandparents and hell, even our parents lived in a different age when it came to the parenting experience.

Mobile phones weren’t smart phones when I was little. Smart phones and the internet have meant that we have been subjected to an insane volume of contradictory parenting advice. Books are being published at record levels. Apps tell us when our baby should next be fed by the minute. Generative AI suggests sleep schedules for our newborns.

Not only this but our brains are scattered throughout the day. Flicking between our online world, work world, and the world in front of us.

Our communities or “villages” are becoming smaller. People are uprooting themselves from their parents towns and moving across the country, the continent and even the world. My husband is an American and his mother still lives there. My mother lives in a totally different city to me and my friends are also dotted around the country.

People are starting to accept that being a “good parent” by social media standards - aka the trolls of the online world - is impossible. Every parental theory has a theory that disputes it. And every troll on social media will find a way to make you think you are a bad parent.

What’s interesting is the movement we have been seeing recently. It’s all about good enough parenting. Its about trusting your gut. Figuring out what sits right with you.

The most important job as a parent is to keep your child safe. I take this to include keeping them safe from both physical and mental harm. If you take that literally and as your baseline, you are achieving good enough parenting. Anything on top of that is a bonus.

The next stage, in my opinion, is just genuinely being present.