I don’t think every parenting trend is bad.

Many come from good intentions and a desire to do better for our children.

But as this year comes to a close, I’ve found myself asking a quieter question:

What do I want to carry with me into 2026?

And just as important — what can I gently put down?

This isn’t about doing less as a mother.

It’s about choosing what feels sustainable, honest, and right for my family in this season.

Here are a few parenting trends that feel very present right now — and the ones I’m choosing to step away from, with care and kindness.

1. Gentle Parenting Without Room for Being Human

Gentle parenting is everywhere right now, and at its core, it’s rooted in respect, connection, and empathy — values I deeply believe in.

But somewhere along the way, it began to feel like gentleness meant never raising your voice.

Never losing patience.

Always responding perfectly.

Real life isn’t that tidy.

In 2026, I’m choosing gentle parenting with space for repair.

Apologies matter.

Trying again matters.

Being human still matters.

2. Hyper-Scheduled Childhoods

Activities, classes, lessons, and practices can fill our calendars faster than our days.

While opportunities are a gift, I’ve noticed how easily rest and slowness disappear in the process.

In 2026, I’m choosing fewer schedules and more space.

More unstructured time.

More slow evenings.

More room for boredom and imagination.

Because childhood doesn’t need to be optimized — it needs to be lived.

3. Parenting by Social Media Advice (and the seemingly “Perfect-Looking Lives”)

Social media has a way of making everything look effortless.

Perfect homes.

Put-together moms.

Children always calm, always smiling.

But real life doesn’t look like that — and it was never meant to.

In 2026, I’m choosing to remember that what I see online is a highlight, not the whole story.

I’m happy not being dressed up all the time.

Happy in my pajamas.

Happy with my messy ponytail and tired eyes.

I don’t need my home to look like a resort every day.

I want it to look lived in.

This year, I’m choosing to let my children play.

To let them make a mess.

And to not get anxious every time things feel a little chaotic.

That doesn’t mean we don’t clean.

It means we clean together.

We learn responsibility without fear.

We learn care without perfection.

We learn that home is a place to live — not perform.

4. The “Do It All” Mom Culture

This pressure never really leaves, but it feels especially heavy right now.

Be involved.

Be available.

Be productive.

Be calm.

Be grateful.

In 2026, I’m choosing to let go of the idea that doing everything means doing it well.

Rest is not laziness.

Asking for help is not weakness.

Choosing less can still mean choosing love.

5. Believing That Struggle Means I’m Failing

This might be the quietest trend — but also the heaviest.

The belief that if motherhood feels overwhelming, something must be wrong.

In 2026, I’m choosing a gentler truth:

Motherhood can be deeply meaningful and deeply hard at the same time.

Both can exist.

Both are real.

What I’m Carrying Forward Into 2026

I’m carrying presence without performance.

Connection without pressure.

Grace — especially for myself.

I’m not chasing trends anymore.

I’m choosing what feels steady and nourishing for my family, in this season.

As we enter a new year, I wish every parent a year filled with gentler days, deeper breaths, and the confidence to trust themselves a little more.

“What are you choosing to leave behind as you step into the new year?”

-Mama A❤️