This is a parenting style that involves supporting children emotionally and put a lot of emphasis on emotional security and empathy. Elephant parenting contrasts sharply with the conventional approaches that focus more on academic success and strict discipline. The concept is derived from the care and protection that elephant calves receive from their family. Elephants maintain a strong family bond where every member of the herd participates in raising the young.
Understanding elephant parenting style will help you create a nurturing, supportive and conducive environment for your children.
Elephant parenting gained popularity in 2014 when celebrity Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar published an article in – The Atlantic, describing her experiences as a supportive and nurturing mother instead of the rigid mum. In this article, we will explore what elephant parenting is and how it can help your parenting style.
Characteristics of Elephant Parenting
Emotional security
Ensure you provide your children emotional support they need by ensuring they feel safe and their emotional needs are met. Be responsive to your children’s feelings and provide emotional support during times of distress.
Provide your child with warmth and empathy by encouraging them to express themselves, develop emotional intelligence and validate their feelings when necessary.
Encouragement over Competition
Elephant parenting encourages children to follow their passions and interests at their own pace rather than pressuring them to compete with their peers. It offers a supportive environment where children are free to express themselves, seek guidance, and help during challenging moments.
Moreover, it encourages setting flexible expectations for your children based on their unique needs rather than following fixed standards or milestones.
Benefits of Elephant Parenting
Improve Emotional intelligence
Elephant parenting puts a lot of emphasis on developing emotional intelligence in children through a supportive and nurturing environment.
It encourages parents to provide emotional security to their children and promote open communication to enable children to openly express their feelings. It ensures children are able to identify and manage their feelings effectively, thus promoting their overall emotional well-being.
Emotional intelligence is key to creating lasting relationships and effective handling of social situations throughout their lives.
Strong Child-Parent Bond
Providing your children empathy and warmth is one of the surest ways of fostering strong bonds between children and parents. It ensures children feel loved by their parents, which makes them build more trust and ask for help from parents.
It also creates a strong connection and enhances communication between children and parents leading to a conducive family environment.
Techniques to Adopt from Elephant Parenting
Focus on Emotional Communication
Prioritize open communication with your children by allowing them to openly discuss their feelings with you and other family members. Foster a conducive environment where your children can express their emotions freely without the fear of being misunderstood or judged.
Provide comfort and encouragement during difficult times and encourage them to seek help and guidance when they face challenges in life.
Celebrate Effort
Always celebrate the effort your children put toward everything they do rather than judging them on achievements and results.
Praise the child on his or her determination, effort, hard work, and perseverance regardless of the outcome. It is also important to set flexible expectations for your kids to enable them to develop at their own pace.
The Support
Elephant parenting ensures your child has received emotional support required to enable him or her to develop emotional intelligence. Adopting this parenting style will ensure you provide your kids with emotional security, develop stronger bonds and promote resilience.
