SOURCE Kiddie Academy

 Gen Z parents moving away from 'gentle parenting'

BALTIMORE, Sept. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With back-to-school season in full swing, Kiddie Academy® Educational Child Care is unveiling new research findings that indicate a desire among young parents to prepare their children for the real world and a shift away from "gentle parenting," or emphasizing empathy and understanding rather than punishment. Seven in 10 parents are choosing parenting styles based on what their child needs, rather than trying to make one style work regardless of their child's personality.

"According to this survey, almost half of parents (47%) are trusting their own intuition when it comes to parenting advice and guidance," said Joy Turner, vice president of education at Kiddie Academy. "Parents are learning along with their children, seeking to find the best way to support each other and adjusting as the journey unfolds."

When it comes to how they decide which approach to use, Gen Z parents prioritize preparing their children for the real world (54%), while millennial parents are focusing on supporting their children mentally and emotionally (62%). There's a paradigm shift in parenting from one generation to the next.

In fact, modern parents are using a variety of new styles of parenting including healing generational trauma, or cycle-breaking (37%), forming strong and emotional bonds, or attachment (33%) and even prioritizing real-world consequences, or cause and effect (31%). Child-led parenting, which sees children as equals to adults and focuses mostly on emotional development, is preferred by 20% of parents surveyed.

"Parenting approaches have changed over time. What parents should keep in mind is understanding their child and meeting those needs," Turner added.

Survey methodology: Kiddie Academy surveyed 2,000 parents of children ages 0-6; the survey was administered and conducted online by an independent research firm on behalf of Kiddie Academy between Aug. 21 and Aug. 27, 2025.

About Kiddie Academy®
Since its inception in 1981, the Kiddie Academy system has been recognized as a leading brand in educational child care. The company serves families and their children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old, offering full- and part-time care, before- and after-school care, and summer camp programs, through the Kiddie Academy system. Kiddie Academy's proprietary Life Essentials® Curriculum, supporting programs, methods, activities, and techniques help prepare children for life. The company's philanthropic efforts, including support of national nonprofit Family Promise, take character education lessons learned in the classroom beyond Academy walls. Kiddie Academy Domestic Franchising, LLC has also received corporate accreditation from the globally recognized Cognia accreditation system, signifying its commitment to quality education and the highest standards in child care. For more information, visit kiddieacademy.com or find Kiddie Academy on Facebook at facebook.com/kiddieacademy.

About Kiddie Academy Domestic Franchising, LLC
Kiddie Academy Domestic Franchising, LLC is based in Maryland. There are currently more than 340 open Academies in the Kiddie Academy system, located in 40 states and Washington, D.C., serving nearly 40,000 children. Each franchised location in the Kiddie Academy system is an independently owned and operated business. For more information, visit franchising.kiddieacademy.com.

Media Contact:
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Tombras
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