lighthouse parenting

Whoever can put a name to a different (and better) style of parenting is onto a winner.  This one invokes the image of the lighthouse — guiding and leading the child to safety but not particularly hands-on, allowing the child to develop by experiencing their own initiatives and disasters.  The lighthouse parent stands back from activities, giving the child time to problem-solve and learn to deal with whatever difficulties arise.  They will, of course, get involved if it is truly needed but they don’t rush in.  This notion was introduced by the American paediatrician, Dr Kenneth Ginsburg, in his book Raising Kids to Thrive (pub 2015). The subtitle of this book is Balancing Love with Expectations and Protection with Trust.

Even with my watchful eye I haven’t kept up with all the different styles of parenting.  Tiger parents have been around for a while but do you know jellyfish parents (lenient and permissive), elephant parents (very protective and focused on nurturing emotions rather than producing an academic genius), and dolphin parents (firm but flexible relying on social communication and interactions).