Raising Kids Like it’s the 1990s

A growing number of parents and caregivers are embracing a “1990s-style” approach to raising kids – not to reject the conveniences of modern life, but to reclaim what they enjoyed about their own childhoods.  In the 90s, kids spent hours in free play, navigated boredom without screens, and enjoyed more freedom and “real world” learning. And 90s parents? They tended to supervise less closely…and didn’t put nearly as much pressure on themselves to be perfect. 

Today, this shift is gaining traction because modern parents – many of whom grew up in the 90s or 80s themselves –  remember how they benefitted from a more relaxed time period. They want the same for their own children, and they see numerous benefits, including less stress for both kids and parents. 

But looking back doesn’t mean we’re voluntarily inviting unhealthy patterns from previous generations. Embracing a 1990s-syle approach isn’t about ignoring what we now know about raising kids to have emotional health. Instead, it’s about carrying forth the strengths of that era while leaving behind what no longer works.  

I scoured the Internet for simple but interesting ways that real parents are incorporating this approach into their everyday lives and listed them below. As always, take what serves you and leave what doesn’t!
 

• Treating a cell phone as a landline. In other words, when at home and not actively working, your cell phone is kept in one spot. You can return to it to check messages or make phone calls just as you would a landline phone, but the big difference is: it’s not attached to you 24/7, constantly tempting your attention away. 
• Offering more (age-appropriate) freedom. Just like in the 90s, some modern parents feel comfortable letting their kids go to the park or corner store with friends but no adults, Similarly, younger children (2+) can be allowed to play alone in a fenced backyard with occasional check-ins, rather than constant supervision.  
• Less preoccupation with kids’ diets. Today, we can be a little…intense about our children’s nutrition; meanwhile, many of us grew up eating Hamburger Helper and canned veggies and our parents weren’t turning themselves inside out with guilt! No one’s saying to throw all nutrition rules out the window, but it’s more than okay to shift into a place of not overthinking it.
• Not rescuing kids from boredom. Today’s parents often feel pressure to prevent boredom, and may even feel like they’ve done something “wrong” if their kids still get bored. But in the 90s, boredom was rarely something adults felt responsible for fixing! They let kids figure it out on their own, and were confident this was beneficial.
• Trusting their own parenting instincts more. Modern parents are deeply invested in breaking cycles and wording every response perfectly. But questioning every parenting choice you make is exhausting and confusing. You can continue to be mindful and try your best, while still offering yourself a lot of grace.

In summary, 1990s-style parenting does NOT mean caring less – it means trusting (yourself and your kids) more! So put on your windbreaker, grab a Capri-Sun, and let the kids play outside until the streetlights come on. You might just feel less stressed for it. 

Blogs and threads on this subject if you want to read more:
The Every Mom
Alamo City Moms
Reddit Parenting