Add this one to your list of parenting styles. A new one is called “The Elephant Parent”. It is a very compassionate and nurturing parenting style that can be done by a mom, a dad, or both at the same time. In many ways, it is the opposite of the “Tiger Mom” parenting style.
The Elephant Parent style was mentioned by Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar in an article she wrote for The Atlantic. She connected the nurturing and protective style she was raised in with the way elephants raise their young, and termed this parenting style “Elephant Parent”.
Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar grew up in India and moved to the United States when she was in her 20’s. She became a mother while she was in her 30’s. Like most parents, she wanted to be the best mom she could be and read many books about parenting.
She recalls a phase that was often said by her parents and the parents of other children. “Let the kids enjoy themselves.” The idea behind this is, in part, the realization that young children will eventually grow older and become adults. They should be nurtured, comforted, and protected. Let the little children be spared from the pain that will, undoubtedly, be part of their experience as adults.
Elephant Parents might not raise their voices to children who are under the age of five. They may let their young child sleep with a parent when the child wants to. It means reaching out and comforting a crying child right away.
The other concept seems to be a recognition of how important the early years – between infancy and age five – truly are. I think this is a concept that many Americans recognize, but that they express in a very different way.
Many American parents make an effort to read to their young children, teach them skills that they will use when they start school. They seek out the best pre-school program they can find. Often, the point is to give their child the opportunity to excel right from the very beginning of their education (or to keep the child from falling behind).
Elephant Parents, on the other hand, recognize that the first five years are an important time for parents and young children to form a strong connection with each other. This supportive structure helps the child grow into an emotionally healthy, compassionate, adult.
It is worth noting that the Elephant Parent can be described as the opposite of the Tiger Mom. Those who select the Tiger Mom parenting style are very strict with their children. They push their children to work very hard on school work and will restrict the amount of time a child has to, well, be a kid.
Image by Brian Snelson on Flickr.
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