Parenting Topics Today’s Parents Need to Know and Discuss

Today’s parenting world is much different than what is was when most parents today were growing up. If you have questions or want to connect with other parents, you can simply go online to ask questions or discuss parenting topics that interest you. When you do use the Internet for parenting support, though, you may find that the parenting topics that interest you may not be so simple.

What are parenting topics that today’s parents are interested in? Anything from breastfeeding versus bottle feeding, cloth and disposable diapers, car seats, education, and more is being discussed, right now, in online parenting communities and you can get information on all of it and more!

If you have any interest in learning about being a parent, growing as a parent, or just connecting with other parents check out some of these topics to get started. You will find parenting topics that discuss infancy all the way to dealing with adult children.

Parenting Topics for Soon-to-Be- Parents

Before you even consider having a baby, you should think about what all that entails. Parenting topics get brought up before you are even a parent! For example, when considering becoming a parent, think about:

• Where you will live
• If you will be a stay-at-home-parent or a working parent
• If you want one or more children
• How you will educate your children
• If you can afford children

Once you are pregnant, you will need to think about these topics:

• If you will have a home birth or hospital birth
• If you will have an epidural or go all natural
• If you will have a c-section or vaginal delivery
• If you want genetic testing or not

These are all parenting topics you would consider before your baby even arrives, and each one will be met with a slew of differing opinions and data. For example, some people will disagree with having an elective c-sections, and there is data that shows that elective c-sections cause more complications than necessary during birth. However, how you decide to give birth (just like how many children you choose to have) is your decision and should be discussed with your trusted healthcare provider.

Parenting Topics for Infants

Once your baby arrives, there will be new parenting topics to discuss. Here are some of the most popular:

• Co-sleeping- will you co-sleep with your baby or have them sleep in their own room?
• Breastfeeding- will you breastfeed or formula feed?
• Cloth diapering- will you use cloth diapers or disposable diapers?
• Baby wearing- will you wear your baby in a sling or wrap, or use a stroller?
• Daycare- Will you send your child to daycare or provide them with care inside your home?
• Stay home or not- will you return to work or stay home with your baby?

All of these parenting topics are things you probably considered before having your baby, but if you haven’t, you will definitely be asked about them once the baby arrives. Some of these have multiple options to consider.

For example, while breastfeeding seems pretty straight forward, you will need to think about if you want to breastfeed, pump and breastfeed, exclusively pump, breastfeed and supplement with formula, and more. There is a campaign that says “breast is best” to promote breastfeeding as the better choice for feeding your baby, but now there is a movement that says “fed is best” and that has opened up many options for how one properly feeds their baby.

When considering baby wearing, you can choose between baby wearing in a sling, wrap, or baby backpack. There are always many avenues to explore, even when the parenting topic seems straightforward.

Parenting Topics for Toddlers

When your baby grows to toddler-hood, you will need to consider new parenting topics. Toddlers are between 15 months to 36 months of age, or 1 and a half years of age to 3 years of age, although some people still consider a four-year-old a toddler. Some of the parenting topics to consider for toddlers include:

• When should I start potty training my child?
• When should you introduce new foods?
• How much screentime should you allow?
• How will you discipline your toddler?
• Helping your toddler put themselves to sleep.

Like before, these topics have layers to consider. For example, when considering how to discipline your toddler, you will need to think about their age, behavior, and your parenting style. You will find people who are advocates of spanking, push the idea that striking a child is solid discipline, but there is a plethora of data that shows that spanking is actually detrimental to children and not recommended by experts. So, what other options do you have?

There is always time out, talking to your children about their behavior, and grounding them to use as discipline, but all of these choices depend on your child’s development and what will work for them.

Parenting Topics for Preschoolers

As your child gets older and reaches preschool age (3 years to 5 years of age), you will face new parenting topics you need to tackle. These can include:

• What type of preschool should I send my child to?
• What chores should my child be responsible for?
• Is my child developing properly?
• What books should I read with my child?
• What toys should my child have?
• Is my child ready for Kindergarten?

This stage is crucial in development for your child. They are growing and learning something new every day, and Kindergarten is quickly approaching. Now is the time to determine if your child is ready for Kindergarten, and if not, how you can get them ready.

You can choose to enroll your child in private pre-school, teach them at home, or send them to publicly funded pre-k. You can include different toys and have them do chores to develop motor and cognitive skills. Of course, what you choose will always come with pros and cons.

For example, sending your child to private pre-school can be expensive, but that is a choice that can help your child develop social and motor skills that they may not otherwise get at home. Then again, if you choose to educate your child at home, you can teach them lessons you think are important and have more time with your child before they leave the home for school.

Parenting Topics for Children

After the pre-school years comes elementary years. This generally includes ages 5-9, and it comes with its own parenting woes. Here are some parenting topics to consider as your pre-schooler grows into an older child:

• How do we combat bullying?
• Is my child doing well in school?
• How do I help my child grow confidence?
• Should my child partake in extra-curricular activities, and if so, what kind?
• How can I build better communication with my child?

One of the hottest topics today is bullying in school. While many schools have taken steps to combat bullying, between 1 in 3 students say they have been bullied in school. If you worry about your child being bullied, thinking about their school environment and how you can raise kind, confident children will be topics you think about when they are this age.

Parenting Topics for Tweens

As your child becomes a tween (or pre-teen) you are entering a whole new parenting realm. Pre-teens are double digit ages that are not teens, yet, or ages 10- 12. Parenting topics to consider when your child becomes a tween include:

• Should I start talking to my child about sex and puberty?
• Is my child dealing with bullying?
• Is my child making friends?
• Should my child have a cell-phone?
• Is my child ready for a sleepover?

Many parents think that topics of sex and puberty should wait until a child reaches teenage years, but children as young as 9 years old can go through puberty, and many children hear about sex from their peers by middle school. If you want your children to have accurate information, you should be the one to discuss these topics with them.

When it comes to bullying, tweens face bullying more than most any other age group, and it is important to make sure you are staying vigilant with them, especially since suicide rates for this age group are on the rise due to bullying.

You will want to speak to your child about both of these topics in conjunction to keep them safe from sexual predators and peer pressure. This can help them be prepared for having a cell-phone, social media accounts, and staying the night with friends away from home because they will know what to do and not to do, and they will be able to come to you with questions and concerns.

Parenting Topics for Teens

Aside from toddler years, many parents say that the hardest years of parenting are the teen years. Teens are 13-18 years old, and while many of the parenting topics will be a continuation of the ones you consider from their tween years, there will be some new parenting topics to think about when raising teens. Those include:

• Is my child ready for college?
• Can we pay for college?
• Should I get my child a car?
• Is my child drinking and doing drugs?
• Should my child have a job?
• What freedoms should I give them?

By the teen years, you are getting your child ready to leave home and become functioning adults in the real world. This can be scary for both the parents and the kids, but it’s important to let your children start flexing their wings so they know what to expect when high school is over.

Talk with our child about their career goals, if they want to go to college or trade school, what you expect from them as you give them more freedoms, and reinforce your family values. The best way to keep a teenager on the “right path” is to constantly talk to them about what is going on in their life.

Parenting Topics for Adult Children

Parenting doesn’t end when your child or children turn 18. You may no longer be fully responsible for them, but you will still have parenting to do. Parenting topics for adult children include:

• Are they in a good relationship?
• Are they financially stable?
• Are they prepared for my death?
• Can we still bond and be close?

They key to making sure your children are doing well in life is to communicate with them when you are able to. Make sure they know that you are still there for them and you are ready to discuss any topic they need to talk about.

One topic many people don’t consider, though, is what will happen when they die. It is an uncomfortable topic for many parents and their adult children, but it is one that needs to be talked about so everyone knows what to expect when that time comes.

Controversial Parenting Topics

Parenting can be one of the hardest things you will ever do, and in today’s information and entertainment driven world a new aspect of parenting has made it even harder- mommy-shaming. While this can happen to dads, too, mommy-shaming is mostly something women face. Mommy-shaming is when a parent is shamed or made to feel bad for their parenting choices. Controversial parenting topics that have brought about mom shaming include:

• Birth
• Breastfeeding
• Circumcision
• Car seat use
• Discipline
• Child leashes
• Sleeping arrangements
• What you feed your child
• Working moms versus stay-at-home-moms

The point of this is: every parenting topic can be controversial! You should find the style that best suits your life and get the most information you can about it, and ignore what other people think about your choice. As long as both you and your children are healthy, happy, and thriving, your choices are working.

Co Parenting Topics

Often, divorce happens and parents need to learn to co-parent with their child’s other parent. If you are in this position, you will need to consider these parenting topics for properly co-parenting with your ex:

• How will we divide time and expenses?
• What type of parenting plan should we have?
• What happens if my ex dates someone I don’t want around my children?
• What happens if my ex goes against our parenting plan?

There are many ways to co-parent and to create a parenting plan, but in order to successfully co-parent, you will want to make this as easy for everyone as possible and create a strong, detailed parenting plan that is signed by a judge to make it legally binding. This is not to say that you cannot change your parenting plan in the future, if needed (and you should revisit the plan every few years to make sure it is still working), but having it legally binding should keep everyone on the same page and will make things smoother.

Christian Parenting Topics

In today’s world, keeping true to your religious values can be hard. If you want to raise your children in a Christian household, consider these parenting topics:

• What church should we attend?
• Should I send my child to a Christian school or homeschool?
• How should I teach my child about our faith?
• What if my child dates someone not of our faith?
• What should I do if my child decides not to follow my religion?

Having children can bring on different challenges when trying to raise them within your religion in today’s society. They will come into contact with people who don’t believe or believe differently, and it is your job to help them navigate that.

You can homeschool your children to help keep them sheltered from other religions until you think they are ready to deal with that on their own, or you can choose to send them to a school that focuses solely on your beliefs and helps reinforce your values through education.

You may not always be able to dictate how they believe and choose to live, though and you should be prepared for that. These parenting topics can assist you when getting ready to raise your child with your Christians values.

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