This is what we can expect parenting to look like in 2017
While childcare has been traditionally just that - care for your children, in 2017 we're set to see nurseries increasingly catering for the whole family. Clapham Village in South London offers everything from yoga and Pilates classes to a 'parent hub' with an IT suite, take away family meals and a laundry service. And there will likely be a surge in nurseries offering more wraparound care to cater for the needs of working parents. For example a nursery in Dalkeith, Scotland has announced plans to stay open until 10pm in a bid to offer more flexible childcare requirements. And more nurseries are set to follow. We're also likely to see a rise in the number if family member clubs such as Purple Dragon, Cupcake and Maggie & Rose who offer classes, play facilities and childcare for children, all within luxe surroundings. Bye bye chilly church halls. [Photo: Getty]
Last year mums and dads may have taken inspo from Instagram filters when it came to naming their newborns, but in 2017 parents will be turning to the heavens for baby name inspiration. Spurred by events ranging from the popularity of superhero films to the recent presidential election (baby Donald anyone?) powerful baby names are going to be en vogue next year, so be prepared to meet some tiny babes with mighty monikers. Writing for Today, Nameberry co-founder Pamela Redmond Satran says that we can expect to see more baby names that defy convention with a trend for unique spellings, non-traditional gender identities and names that embody power. In 2017, mythological monikers such as Thor, Persephone, Jupiter, Atlas, Pandora and Zues are set to spike in popularity, alongside feminist heroine names like Ada, Eleanor, Zelda and Frida. And if feisty female or god-like names aren't powerful enough, some parents in 2017 will get inspiration from the zoo. Keep an eye out next year for babies named Bear, Fox, Lynx, Falcon, Lionel and Wolf. [Photo: Getty]
This year parents will be helping the future techie's hone their coding skills. Sophie Deen, founder of children's edtech company Bright Little Labs believes there will be a huge rise in the number of parents and children set to explore coding and tech in 2017. "Coding is now a feature of the classroom for all kids aged 5 and over, and as tech-savvy parents seek to support the work their kids are doing in schools, we're seeing more mums and dads seeking to go on that learning journey with their kids," she says. “Coding Clubs are springing up all over the country and I think in 2017 we'll see more and more parents and kids doing coding activities together, both at clubs and at home, using the growing range of tech-focused books, toys and apps available.” And even bed time stories are set to have a tech-based re-boot. Detective Dot, is a new book aimed at children aged 8+, which cleverly weaves in the language of computer science to a kickass story about a 9-year-old girl with an insatiable appetite to learn about the world around her. Makers hope the book will inspire the next generation to become coders, not Kardshians! [Photo: Getty]
When it comes to pushchairs next year will see some major overhauls. According to Which? 2017 will see five major trends in the world of baby travelling - more lightweight stroller systems, high-tech fabrics, special editions and luxe touches, gender-muted colours and customisation. From sleeker, more streamlined strollers to pick and mix add-on gadgets and gizmos, fashion designer collaborations to futuristic fabrics, 2017 is set to be a big year in buggy innovation. [Photo: Getty]
Forget scurrying away vegetables in their pasta sauce, this is the year that children finally embrace healthy eating. Well, we can but hope. But according to Chloe Joyner, Nutritionist from Kiddyum, 2017 will see some major changes in food and nutrition for little ones. For a start we'll be looking beyond hidden veg. "In the recent past, much of the advice parents have been given has focused on pureeing and hiding vegetables in dishes in order to encourage children to eat them," explains Chloe. "However recent research has showed that there are benefits to offering children whole pieces of vegetables - a stick of carrot or a floret of broccoli – as it enables the children to identify the flavour, texture and colours of the vegetables." Chloe says that by only offering hidden vegetables, children are more likely to become picky about eating them in the long term because they won't be used to seeing or eating them in their real form. "So by all means do hide some veg, but next year try to offer the vegetables in their whole form - or in pieces - as well, even if alongside other hidden veg." Experts also believe next year will be the year we see a rebranding of treats. "I think in 2017 and beyond we are going to see more parents moving away from using the word 'treat' for certain foods," explains Chloe. "Research has shown that branding something as a 'treat' or rewarding children with food can make those foods more desirable. I think we are going to see more foods being talked about as 'every day' foods and others as 'not every day' as a way to avoid making less healthy foods seem better than everyday foods and avoid using unhealthy foods as rewards." And we're likely to see junk food advertising outlawed too. "2017 will be the year when junk food advertising at children will be banned and I think this could start to have an impact on which foods children see as desirable," Chloe continues. "It will require creative thinking by the nutrition and food sector, but there is the opportunity to rebrand healthier foods, like vegetables, to make them seem as cool as cola, using the same powerful marketing messaging as the big brands do so successfully. 2017 could be the start of a big shift in thinking in this space." [Photo: Getty]
So long Tiger mums, 2017 is all about taking a more touchy feely approach to parenting. "A major trend this year will be a focus on children’s mental health and growth, with a slant on mindfulness and thoughtfulness," explains Jo Wiltshire, parenting expert for Childcare.co.uk "We’ve been through helicopter parenting and ‘tiger’ parenting with its full-on activity schedules, and we’ve read all about the new generation of ‘special snowflake’ children with their lack of resilience and their sense of entitlement. Now we can see a trend for taking things down several notches – ‘slow parenting’." Jo says this type of parenting involves teaching children to be self-aware, to earn privileges and treats, to give without expecting rewards, and to focus on inner qualities rather than just outward skills and abilities. "Schools are incorporating mindfulness and meditation sessions into their teaching, and thinking about how physical activities such as yoga can help children learn. 2017 will see a push towards nurturing the inner child and celebrating a more thoughtful style of parenting," she says. [Photo: Getty]
While we're all being more 'mindful' about the way we bring up our children, we're likely to see this same, more organic, way of thinking reflected in our childcare provision. "Forest Schools are springing up everywhere, even on a ‘pop-up’ basis in mainstream education," explains Jo Wiltshire, parenting expert for childcare.co.uk "Children go outside, work as a team, learn about nature and get hands-on. An increasing amount of nurseries and primary schools are offering this approach, and we may see childminders also focusing on the outdoors too, as an ‘added value’ provision for families who value it." According to Jo nature-centred schools are very common in Scandinavian countries and across Europe, and this is an area the UK is just starting to catch on to. "It is a child-led approach which encourages independence and creative thinking, and appeals to a range of personalities and learning styles. Time to get the wellies on and get outside!" [Photo: Getty]
The first British baby made with the DNA of three people could be born in 2017 after the UK's fertility regulator gave the go ahead for the procedure. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) announced earlier this month that it would accept applications from clinics wanting to offer the controversial mitochondrial replacement therapy after it met to consider the latest scientific evidence surrounding the safety of the procedure. The three-person IVF has been developed to prevent babies from inheriting genetic diseases. Babies born after the treatment would effectively have three genetic parents. A tiny proportion of their DNA would come from their mother, father and a third person, an egg donor. Professor Mary Herbert, who has led scientists pioneering the technique at Newcastle University, called the decision "enormously gratifying". "Our many years of research in this area can finally be applied to help families affected by these devastating diseases," she said. [Photo: Getty]
Every year sees a new bit of 'it' kit that inventors hope will become indispensible to parents and next year is no different. Earlier this year we saw the introduction of the world's first smart crib, which will monitor your baby’s sleep patterns and rock it back to sleep when it detects he’s about to wake up, and now Motorola are set to take things a stage further with their smart nursery range – a suite of six connected products, including a wi-fi baby cam monitor, tablet, scales, humidifier, dream machine and door alarm senors, that make up the worlds most intelligent baby nursery. Accessible through the Hubble application, the nursery will give parents access to useful information about their newborn. Dino Lalvani, Chairman of Binatone Global said: "Today's technology helps to capture, analyse and inform all of us, to help make the best decisions. Being able to enrich baby care in this way by providing this level of intelligence to your smartphone is a connected experience that we are very proud of and an innovation which leads the way in the future of nursery.” [Photo: John Lewis/Motorola]
What do you mean you haven't been taking your kids to private family clubs, pushing a gender-muted buggy or teaching your little one to code? Come on, catch up! Just when you think you've got one parenting trend licked, something else comes along and renders it sooooo 2016.
So will 2017 be the year we kick helicopter parenting to the kerb and become more zen while we're raising our offspring? From advances in technology to smart babygrows and super clever childcare, if you want to get ahead of the parenting curve, we've got the trends mums and dads will be embracing in 2017…
What trends do you think we’ll see in childcare next year? Let us know @YahooStyleUK
Parents-to-be: Here's what you DON’T need to buy for your baby
Mum bans son's iPhone and sees his behaviour transformed. Should other parents be doing the same?