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What it is: In an era where overscheduling and overdoing it is the norm, the concept of slow parenting provides a sense of relief. This parenting method tends to focus on quality over quantity, real and meaningful human connections, and being present and in the moment.
Why parents do it: By opting out of a high-stakes lifestyle that prioritizes quantity over quality time, parents can curate a different kind of upbringing that emphasizes balance and self-discovery. “It isn’t as much about doing nothing as it is about doing things consciously and at the right pace for the family,” Susan Sachs Lipman, author of “Fed up with Frenzy: Slow Parenting in a Fast-Moving World,” told The Washington Post in 2012.
What research says: There isn’t much research about slow parenting specifically, but the Boston Globe reports that “doing too much can be draining on adults” and “debilitating for kids whose brains are still developing.” A 2014 study showed that over-scheduling kids can be detrimental to their health. “The more time kids had in less structured activities, the more self-directed they were and, also, the reverse was true: The more time they spent in structured activities, the less able they were to use executive function,” Yuko Munakata, the study author’s, told CBS News.
