I’m not a really trendy person in general. In fact, you might call me pretty square. As a parent, trends have certainly surrounded me. However, I often found myself falling into the same rut. Or, perhaps I just followed my own trend with great consistency?

I’m sure many of you have found yourself in a parenting rut, I mean “your own parenting trend”. Sometimes it’s interesting to stick your head up above the surface and see what other people do, or what they think you should be doing. It is very enlightening at times, though not always in a good way.

I find that when I take a closer look at parenting trends, I see three main things: choices I already make, choices I have purposely avoided, and choices that would never occur to me (good or bad). So in the spirit of self-discovery and some fun, I invite you to peruse these lists of parenting trends.

Your place in theÂ  “in” crowd or the “out” crowd may come down to which list you read. No matter what any single list says about itself, there is no definitive list. Even the lists are trendy, it seems.

Ultimately, trends will come and go. When you do what feels right for you and your child, all the other stuff doesn’t matter too much.

Biggest Parenting Trends 2013 – iVillage

This is what you are supposed to look for in 2013. If you have babies or really little kids, some of these ideas are really cute and even useful. I like the nail polish one because I have girls 13 and younger. Other trends are a little more controversial. It’s an interesting mix to say the least.

Parenting News Predictions – Huffington Post

These trends are more about events and ways of thinking. Again, some of these may really strike you, others may seen controversial. They aren’t based on a product or socially popular item, so the odds of these things coming true are uncertain. However, they are likely to make you think a bit.

Current Parenting Trends – Everyday Family

The four trends listed here are more like parenting styles or choices. I think these are actually bigger than trends. More than likely, if you are a so-called “helicopter parent”, you aren’t going to just drop your watchfulness and involvement all of the sudden. Also, I think parents have been putting their kids in front of TVs for a while now – not all that new.

No matter what you call this list, it is your job as a parent to decide how your parenting style fits with the way you want your child to end up once you have raised them. This list has some interesting things to consider.

Mike Baird via Compfight
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