This was the year we grappled with the concepts of helicopter parenting and building resilience, took our social media habits to task, and signed up our kids for archery lessons, thanks to “The Hunger Games” among other things.

parenting trends 2014

Now that we are almost a month into the new year, here are 6 parenting trends we predict in 2014.

#1 Pre-conception punch

Say hello to implantation drinks! Yes, you read right. BabyCenter’s Global Editor in Chief notes that women who are trying to conceive are turning to a homemade concoction of pomegranate and pineapple core juice for help, drinking this strange concoction during the “stimulation phase”. However, whether this drink is medically proven as effective remains to be seen.

#2 Surprise me!

It started in the US in recent years, but now it has caught on with us. More Singaporean couples are choosing not to know baby’s gender until birth, even though medical technology and a skilled gynaecologist can reveal if you are expecting a boy or girl with almost perfect accuracy by the start of your second trimester. Crazy? Well, it definitely ups the excitement of delivery, and will make the whole pregnancy and birthing experience that much more memorable! The tricky bit will be explaining your choice to well-meaning relatives and friends who may be horrified at your decision to wait to find out.

#3 No more nanny, please

More women are eschewing the traditional one month confinement period and practices, and simply using that time to rest and get acquainted with motherhood first-hand. As confinement nanny rates have gone up significantly in recent years, coupled with horror stories of many new mums who have argued and shed tears over conflict with the nanny, more young parents are willing to “slog it out” together, instead of hiring external help. Which also means they’ll probably not be following a whole lot of the traditional confinement practices too, like drinking red date tea or bathing with herbal water, which takes up too much time and effort.

#4 Monthly celebrations

Just one (awesome) party a year just isn’t enough anymore. For those who can afford it, celebrating your baby’s birthday will become a monthly affair – at least for the first year! Think a cute cake, small gift, and a special trip to the zoo!




#5 Birthday crowns

Still on the subject of birthdays, did you know that the traditional cone-shaped party hats with elastic bands just aren’t the “in” thing anymore? Nowadays, the birthday boy or girl gets a birthday crown for their special day! Don’t worry, there are lots of ideas you can copy off Pinterest. And it’s a great way to spend some purposeful art-and-craft time with your child too!

#6 Winter cravings

With the huge popularity of the Disney animation film “Frozen“, more children will be clamouring for regular visits to places like Snow City (located within the Singapore Science Centre) or The Rink (JCube), to experience the joys of cold air, ice and snow! Some ice skating lessons might just be in order. Of course, there’s always the possibility of jet-setting off to New Zealand for the holidays to experience some of that icy beauty firsthand…

What other parenting trends do you predict in 2014? Share them with us in the comment box below!

By Dorothea Chow.

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