Parenting has evolved to include various styles and approaches, such as “commando parenting,” “FAFO parenting,” and “free-range parenting.” A newer term gaining attention is “lighthouse parenting,” which aims to provide a balanced and empathetic structure to keep children safe and support their independence. Lighthouse parents are consistent in their presence, guiding their children like a beacon through life’s challenges while offering a secure base for support and guidance. This parenting style, rooted in the concept of authoritative parenting, emphasizes meaningful attachments, open communication, and setting expectations that foster growth and independence tailored to each child’s needs. Lighthouse parenting focuses on developing qualities like stability, being a role model, effective communication, safety, resilience, and gradual independence. It encourages parents to be stable forces in their children’s lives, role models who embrace both strengths and flaws, effective communicators who actively listen, and providers of both safety boundaries and opportunities for growth. Ultimately, lighthouse parenting seeks to nurture qualities that promote resilience and acknowledge life’s inevitable struggles.
Embrace uncertainty with the knowledge that you have support, both from us and others, to navigate life’s challenges,” says Dr. Danda. Preparing to Protect Within lighthouse parenting, you allow your children to experience failure in small things so that they can learn from these experiences and gain the skills necessary to weather life’s storms, Dr. Danda explains. By equipping your children with the tools they need and assuring them of your ongoing support, you provide a beacon of hope and safety. Reliability Dr. Danda emphasizes the importance of parents being a reliable source of nurturing for their children as they grow and develop. Regardless of their challenges, parents should see the inherent good in their children. Benefits of Lighthouse Parenting Dr. Danda notes that lighthouse parenting is linked to improved academic performance, social skills, and higher self-esteem. Unlike helicopter or snowplow parenting, lighthouse parenting focuses less on ensuring children’s happiness and more on fostering independence and confidence through mastery. How To Be a Lighthouse Parent Dr. Danda offers practical tips for practicing lighthouse parenting, including the importance of paraphrasing and validating children’s feelings, listening without rushing to provide solutions, coping out loud to demonstrate resilience, practicing self-care and self-compassion, being intentional in reflection, nurturing strengths over focusing solely on challenges, celebrating effort and qualities, prioritizing family time, holding family meetings, creating tech-free zones, and fostering meaningful connections through everyday moments.
The text can be rewritten as:
“Arrange family meals to promote interaction. Next up: Recommended lessons for children from parents and grandparents, according to child psychologists. Source: Dr. Caroline Danda, child psychologist.”
